A Secret I Should've Never Kept
by Pilargirl
Summary: Finding out you're going to be a mother is never easy, specially when you're 20 years old and your husband just managed to achieve his greatest dream. That's why Gabriella leaves, keeping a secret that just might destroy her life when Troy finds her 17 years later.
1. Trailer

_**A/N: If you want me to write it…review…If I think there are enough people who want to read it. I'll update chapter 1.**_

**They were young and happy**

_Shows a clip of Troyella laughing_

**She found out something**

_Gabriela looks at the pregnancy test. _G: (_to herself_) it's positive

**He had news**

T: (_coming in_) you're looking at the next addition to Los Angeles Lakers team.

**He said something**

T: (hugging Gabby) I'm glad we waited...

**She did something**

_Shows Gabriella leaving with two suitcases_

**17 years later **

_We see a brunette girl with blue eyes (Alexis Bledel) shooting some hoops. _

**There was something in her…**

T: (looking at the girl with a strange expression) do I know you? Girl: I don't think so but I definitely know you. You're like my hero.

**But this girl isn't just another basketball student**

Girl: (To a brunette woman in her thirties) Mom, you'll never guess who's teaching me. _The woman turns around, we see she's Gabriella_

**A secret stops being a secret…**

Troy: I had the right to know!

**Tears will be shed.**

_We see Gabriella crying_

**Young Romance will blossom**

_We see the girl kissing a boy in an East High basketball uniform_

**Old Romance will return.**

_Troy and Gabriella look deeply into each other's eyes._

**Can life ever turn out the way we want?**

_We see Troy, Gabriela and the girl hugging_

**

* * *

Zac Efron as Troy Bolton**

**Vanessa Hudges as Gabriela Montez**

**Alexis Bledel as Elizabeth Montez**

**Chad Michael Murray as Max Evans

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**Find out what happens in…**

_**A SECRET I SHOULD'VE NEVER KEPT **_

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**_

**VERY IMPORTANT!**

**If you want this story to continue you MUST review or I'll take it for granted that you do not want a chapter 1.**


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

She looked at the test in her hand. It indicated what she had feared; it indicated that there was a human growing inside her.

"It could be worse," she told herself. It was true. She could've been a teenager who had a mad night but no…she was 20 and happily married. But, how would Troy take it? They had agreed to wait until they were older…two or three more years. The young woman really didn't know how to feel as she looked at those lines; the lines that had suddenly changed her future radically.

She walked towards the living room of the small rented apartment and sat down, preparing herself to tell her husband the news. Troy was wonderful. He was loving and caring and extremely handsome, not to mention that he occupied the most important space in Gabriela's heart and vice versa.

Gabriella was looking down at the ground when she heard a stiff cough. She looked up and saw her 20-year-old husband looking at her with a serious face; however, she knew it wasn't a serious face, she knew that he was only faking it.

"So how did it go?" she asked, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

"You're looking at the new addition of the Los Angeles Lakers team!" he exclaimed, opening his arms. She stood up and ran to him. He caught her and lifted her up, spinning her around crazily.

"I'm so glad, baby," she muttered against his ear, kissing him softly a second later. He kissed her back and she remembered the news. But before she could say anything he started talking.

"So am I. The only bad thing is the travelling. That's why I'm glad we waited," he told her.

"What do you mean, 'you're glad we waited'?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"To have kids, I mean. It's already gonna be hard enough for the two of us to keep this up. I'll have to travel every weekend! The good thing is you'll be able to come with me but if you were pregnant…And anyway, I don't think it'll be good for my career right now…God knows that I'm dying to have a little girl but I think it's better that we waited, don't you think?"

Gabriella simply nodded, unable to say any words. Troy realized something was off but he decided to wait until she told him herself. He simply kissed her.

* * *

Gabriela tried to be silent; she tried her hardest to not let out any sob. She looked at Troy's sleeping form and leaned down to kiss him softly.

"I'll never ever forget you Troy, never…"

And, having said that, she took the two bags in her hands and walked out of the door; speaking to her husband for the last time in seventeen years.

* * *

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	3. 1:Seventeen and 3 4rs years later

**17 and Three and a Quarter Years Later.**

Elizabeth (Ellie) Montez woke up and looked around her bedroom. Today she was finally turning 17, it wasn't like it was the most important age but it was still her birthday wasn't it? She got up and walked to her mirror, looking for any change; you'd think she'd have realize that you don't change on your birthday by now but Ellie was a completely different case. Her hair was still brown and curly but silky, her skin was slightly tanned and her beautiful blue eyes shone like any other day; yes, Ellie Montez was still beautiful. She opened her wardrobe and analyzed it; she wasn't girly, not at all. The clothes were all casual and sporty. Jeans and t-shirts were highly predominant, two or three dresses that her mum would never approve of were hidden at the back, and all the basketball clothes that she had ever owned occupied the whole left wing of the large wardrobe. She pushed the basketball stuff to a side and looked at the picture that was stuck on the back of the wardrobe; her hero stood there, with a basketball in his right hand and wearing his uniform. He was the basketball ace of the century; any guy would like to be like him. Every girl would kill to date him, not caring in the least that he could be their father. Ellie wasn't one of those girls, though or like those guys, for that matter; Ellie saw him as her inspiration, as the person who kept her going on. It's hard to explain how she had grown so fond of him…It was particularly strange because her mum couldn't stand him. Ellie had a hard time figuring out why Gabriella Montez held such a grudge against him but, after all, Gabriella _did _hate basketball…it had always been like that.

Ellie picked up a pair of blue jeans, and her yellow 'I support Los Angeles Lakers' t-shirt. She put them on and grabbed one of her hats (She had inherited her uncle's love for hats) and a pair of mustard-color converse. She didn't look normal, that was for sure, but people who knew her had grown accustomed to her 'look' and some of the freshman girls imitated the look of Napoleon High's golden girl.

She walked towards the desk and looked through the photo album she had found last night. As she opened it she saw a picture of her "small" family. A three-year-old Ellie and a five-year-old Max stood in front of Gabriella Montez and Kelsi and Ryan Evans. That was it. That was Ellie's family. No biological aunts or uncles. No Grandparents. No cousins. And most important, no dad. It was hard, especially on these days, it was very hard, but she knew how to get over it. Her mum was twenty, her mum went to a party, her mum got drunk and Ellie was now here, living in the west side of New York, nearly 18 years later. According to her mum the only thing she remembered was that she had met the guy in a basketball game once before…so, that's why she hated basketball so much. Don't take it the wrong way, Ellie knew her mum loved her more than anything, but she had been forced to finish her studies while raising a kid up on her own and, as if that wasn't enough, that kid lived for the thing that she hated so much; Ellie lived for basketball.

"_Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up_…" sounded a sweet but deep voice coming out of the phone. Ellie smiled and picked up the phone, taking it up to her ear. This act was immediately followed by the voice singing a round of happy birthday. Ellie laughed and imagined her best friend singing on the other side. Max Evans was wonderful, he was funny, he was caring, he was kind, incredibly hot and Elizabeth Montez weakness. He was the son of Gabriella Montez's only friends; the two amazing people who Ellie called "Uncle and Aunt". Ryan and Kelsi had attended high school with Gabriella and even though they only got together at the end of senior year, which was enough to get married right after school. They had both received scholarships for Julliard and the pregnancy wasn't expected but they managed. However, they never reached fame; mind you, that was never their main objective, they only wanted to live their lives surrounded by drama and music. They were successful in that, though. Ryan and Kelsi Evans taught drama and music and Napoleon High, together with Gabriella, who taught Chemistry and helped out with the school shows.

"Good morning to you too, Mick Jagger. Don't let your dad catch you singing, though. He'll throw you into the Spring musical before you can say "Wildcat"," Ellie joked. Her and Max always had a laugh when it came to theater. They both loved it, there was no point lying, but basketball came first. Ryan always asked himself how his kid had ended up being the best basketball player at his high school and often joked about his wife cheating on him with Jason Cross, a high school crouch of Kelsi's. Everyone knew the real answer, though; everyone knew that Ellie's passion for the sport had been transmitted to Max and whatever his best friend did, Max could do just as well.

"I'll take the risk. What would be a birthday without my 'happy birthday'? Besides, if I didn't do it I'd actually have to spend money on a present!" Max laughed, enjoying messing around with the 16-year-old.

"That hurts," said Ellie, putting on a fake hurt tone.

"Deal with it, Elle," the boy told her. "I'll pick you up in a half hour, be ready."

"Sure thing, wildcat," she murmured as she hang up.

She walked down the stairs and found her mum baking pancakes. Her favorite.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," the 38-year-old said, hugging her daughter.

"Morning, mum," Ellie greeted as she broke free from her mum's grip and sat on one of the stalls of the American style kitchen.

"I know it's your birthday and I am _not_ trying to criticize, I am merrily pointing out…" babbled the mother.

"Mum," interrupted the teenager, knowing perfectly what her mum was going to say. "I love this t-shirt and I think it is perfect for my birthday. I know how much you hate basketball and I know you've got a good reason but…"

However, Ellie's words died out as a last minute informative came on and a picture of Troy Bolton appeared on the kitchen TV screen. Ellie smiled to see her idol on the screen and Gabriella concentrated on the pancake, which she was throwing in the air and catching; anything to keep her mind of that man.

"This morning, at the latest press conference offered by the Los Angeles Lakers team, we were informed of startling news by the president of the team," spoke the journalist. Ellie had all her senses put on the informative and Gabriella couldn't help but listen to the words of the spokeswoman. "Troy Bolton, in the picture and thought to be one of the best players in the century, was announced to be retired."

The woman continued speaking but the words were unheard by both women. Gabriella, who was about to catch a pancake which she had thrown up in the air, dropped the saucepan and stared at her daughter's eyes; he had finally done it, he had finally completely lost it.

"He's thirty eight! He's amazing! Why the bloody hell is he quitting?" Shouted an infuriated Ellie, expecting to be told of by her mother by the bad language. But Gabriella hadn't heard a word; she had managed to keep her mind far from her husband for the last 17 years, she had kept it all locked up in a room inside her head, she had convinced herself that night that what she was doing was right, she had never dared to think of contradicting herself but now there was no job, now there wasn't nothing in the middle, now there was just Troy, there was just Gabriella and that little secret that only she knew the whole truth about. That secret that, for the first time in her life, she was regretting to have kept.


	4. 2:Have we met?

2. Have we met?

"Happy Birthday," greeted Max as Ellie jumped into the car seat. She looked slightly miserable but Max couldn't help but smile. He had shared every single one of her birthday's with her and had always managed to put a smile on her face; he knew that these kinds of days were hard for her.

"You've already said that," Ellie, informed in a matter-of-fact tone. She seriously didn't want to sound angry at her best friend but she couldn't feel any other way, not after what she'd heard. Max started the car and spoke while looking at the road.

"What's up? You sound a little down…" he told her. Max really wanted to look into her eyes and pull a funny face in order to make her laugh but he knew the rules, always keep your eyes on the road.

"So you haven't heard? You might as well stop the car; this could shock you," she said, making Max park the car in the nearest suitable place and look at her with concern. "He's quitting."

Max looked at her, filled with confusion. "Who's quitting."

"Bolton," she murmured. Max looked at her in disbelief. Troy Bolton was their idol, he was what had made them adore basketball so much, he seriously doubted that they would be best friends if it wasn't for him.

"I can't believe it. Not the best birthday present, right?" he asked casually.

"No, not really. But at least I'm joining a proper basketball squad. I seriously couldn't stand another day of the Wildcat female team. I really hate having to leave the school's team but the Ravens belong to a different universe – I've got a scholarship granted if I can survive until graduation," she explained. She'd never had it easy. Up to know, the coach had let her practice with the boys and then play with the girls but it was pathetic, she was a goddess on the court but the other members of the team had no idea of basketball. Now that she was finally 17, she could join a privet team of the area and, as she claimed, she'd probably get far with them.

"I'm just gonna miss you in practice," max joked but he was really being serious, he couldn't see a life without Ellie – she was even more important than basketball – she was his best friend, just like a sister.

"We're gonna be late for lessons. Drop the crap and get a move on, Wildcat."

"Happy Birthday, Ellie." "Happy Seventeen." "Hope you're having a nice day, Elizabeth."

Had been a few of the greeting that Ellie had received throughout the day. Max and her were east high's golden pair and it was obvious. Everyone knew who Elizabeth Montez and Max Evans were and if they didn't they had not been in Napoleon High for over an hour.

The back of Max's car was filled with present by the end of the day. He had promise to drop them off at her house after she took her to the Ravens' stadium – there wasn't a practice but Ellie was eager to see her new turf.

"Here we are," announced Max as he stopped the car. He could see that Ellie was nervous and that made him smile; she was happy and that made him feel the same.

"See you at dinner, "she said, kissing him softly on the cheek. A strange rush of electricity ran through her body as her thin lips made contact with the soft skin. _"Nerves"_

She went out of the car and waved goodbye as Max drove towards his house. Max and her were a strange pair. More than two or three people had automatically figured out that they were a couple by sparing a glance at them. "_A Couple" _Ellie thought, but she shook the thought off. For the last few months those kind of thoughts had entered her head much more that they actually should and she couldn't help but be scared by it; Max Evans was like her brother – supposedly a least.

She entered the huge building and made her way towards the stadium. It was bigger than it had seemed when she was watching matches. From down there it looked huge, it look like she was the centre of the world – like she could do anything.

She grabbed one of the balls that were put to a side and dribbled it across the court.

"And Montez makes her way through the players. She wants to score and she wants it now. Five second left. Four. Montez's getting there. Two. SCORE! Go Montez!" she whispered as she shot a perfect basket. The ball fell on the floor and bounce twice before falling in the hands of a very handsome man in his thirties.

"Nice shot," commented the man. Ellie's jaw dropped as she took in those amazing blue eyes and that wonderful fair hair. He was here and she couldn't do a thing but stare dumbly at him.

Troy Bolton analyzed the girl carefully. There was something awfully familiar about the young adult in front of him but he couldn't quite get his finger on it. The girl had dark curly hair which was tied in a messy bun, she had tanned skin and was quite tall, but the thing that caught his attention were the two eyes.

"Excuse me, have we met before?"

_**So,**_

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	5. 3:Ellie Mo

3. Ellie Mo…

"Excuse me, have we met before?"

Ellie kept on looking at the 38-year-old dumb folded. She couldn't believe he was actually talking to her. Troy Bolton, the best basketball player of the century, was looking straight into her eyes! She noticed his lips were moving and suddenly she fell out of her trance.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if we had ever met," he informed her. "You look strangely familiar."

"I don't think so but I definitely know you. You're like my hero," she told him with a smile as she looked at him with blue eyes full of fascination. He smiled back at her; one of his charming smiles. Ellie knew that that smile would make any other girl's knees unstable but for her it was different, that smile gave her reassurance and a, strangely, a feeling of safety.

"I don't want to be nosy or anything but, what are you doing here?" She asked curiously. Then she remembered the news she heard this morning and without noticing how rude it would sound she snapped at him. "Shouldn't you be at a retirement meeting or something?"

Troy stared at the girl with confusion taking over. There was something strange about her; the sudden mood swing reminded him so much of…He looked at her again and realized how similar the young girl was to his wife. The hair had the exact same intense black and it was curly just how Gabriella's used to be when she didn't straighten it. Her nose was similar too, small and round.

"You're a lot like an old friend of mine," he said sitting on the stands. Ellie looked at him weirdly as she heard his random comment. She stepped forward and looked at him, silently asking for permission to sit down beside him. He turned his head slightly and nodded.

"What was her name?" she asked. She knew it was none of her business but she felt a connection in between them and she felt the need to ask the question, probably the fact that she had always thought so much of him.

"Gab…Actually, it doesn't matter…she left a long time ago," he told her, sadness was visible in his eyes and tone.

"I'm sorry," Ellie commented sympathetically. They both fell silent; however, it wasn't awkward, it was actually kind of calming.

"Coming back to your question," said Troy after a few minutes. "Yeah, I guess I should be throwing one of those retirement meetings but I wanted to get used to the court before I start."

"Start?" asked Ellie with confusion.

"Yeah, I'm the new coach for the ravens!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. Ellie turned to him with an unbelieving look. She couldn't believe it; this had to be the best birthday ever.

"Why would you go for the Ravens?" She asked incredulously. "There's thousands…no…millions of teams that would kill to have you, and you go for a high school female team in New York?"

"I know, weird right? But I saw that they needed a coach and it was kind of a challenge. Working with girls is something I've never done and I've always wanted to teach high school kids like my dad, he was the school coach," he added. "So I just went for it."

"Well, I'm definitely glad you did it's…" But she was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing from the other end of the court, she was lucky she had such a good ear; it was barely audible from so far away.

She stood up, throwing and apologetic look at Troy and raced to the place where her school bad stood. She opened it and took her mobile phone out. The word "mum" was flashing on the screen.

"Hey mum," Troy heard her say. He stood up and went closer to the girl who seemed to be half-listening to her mother. He could hear the voice of her mother shouting on the other side.

"Yeah, I'm sorry…sure mum…I'm about to…mum quit shouting…God, I know it's my birthday mum…Yeah, I'll be there…Bye…Yeah, Love you too," she said as Troy stared at her, looking entertained. She hung up and put the cell into the bag, picking up her light blue hat on the way. She put the hat on and looked at Troy.

"So, it's your birthday?" asked Troy.

"Yeah, seventeen at last…" she answered with a smile as she picked up her bad and out it on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I kind of have to go. Mum's…"

"Sure, see you tomorrow, right?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Si," she answered in Spanish. "I'm gonna be your number one student," she said as she took off. Running towards the entrance where, according to her mum, a bus was about to pass.

"I never got your name," shouted Troy, trying to get the girl to hear him.

"Ellie, Elizabeth Mo…" replied Ellie as hard as she could but Troy never got her surname.

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	6. 4:Nadar Contracorriente

**4. Nadar Contracorriente**

_A/N: This is a bit of a filler. It lets us know a little about the relationships going on. I hope you like it! Please Review!_

Ellie run into the car, feeling she was going to burst if she didn't tell her mother about the recent occurrence. She was slightly taken back when she realized who was behind the wheel.

"Mr. Carter?" she asked nervously as her physics teacher smiled at her.

"Hi Ellie, you're mum couldn't make it so she asked me to pick you up, is that ok?" he asked as he drove off."

"Yes, I guess so. But, if it isn't indiscreet…why you? My uncle could've picked me up," Ellie told the man in his late thirties. She already knew the answer, though. Mr. Carter had been in love with Gabriela since I could remember. Ellie wouldn't actually mind it if the two of them went out, Mr. Carter was handsome and kind; he was caring and kind of suited her mum. However, Gabriela never dated. T he teenager once asked her mother why she didn't date and she told me that her main priority was to look after her daughter. But now Ellie could look after herself and she still didn't give the poor man a chance.

"I was on the phone to your mum when she realized she had to be at the school to help your aunt Kelli with the staging of Grease. You gonna audition?" he asked with an air of indifference.

"Nah, I'm too busy with the new team and stuff. Besides, I don't feel like snogging a total stranger," Ellie told him truthfully as she took her jacket off.

"Can I tell you some confidential stuff that I shouldn't tell you and I could fired for saying anything about it?" He asked. She I looked at him for a second not wanting to give him a straight answer but he took it as a yes. "Max Evans could get into the University of California."

I looked at him stunned. Max and her had been trying by all means to get into the University of California. Ellie had found out that by joining the Ravens she had a pretty good chance; However, Max…

"How?" she asked quickly.

"They're offering drama scholarships. I know he loves basketball but maybe if he participated in the musical he would have a better chance," Mr. Carter explained. The girl looked into his eyes but she was actually lost in thought. Max was an amazing basketball player but it didn't seem likely that he would get a scholarship, even less to the University of California. However, he was a stunning actor; he could show any feeling through his facial expression and body language. His voice was like silk but loud and straight. He was a prodigy on the stage. Ellie wasn't too bad herself, to tell you the truth; she liked it a lot just not as much as basketball.

"We're here," he said, interrupting her thoughts, as he stopped in front of the Montez's house. She got out and noticed that so did he.

"Have you got your car near here?" the 17-year-old asked.

"No…I'm…Um…gonna pick up your mum later on and she'll leave me at my house," he told her slightly nervously.

"Ok…I guess," she said as she walked up to the house and opened the door. The only thing she saw was darkness before a thunderous 'Surprise' was heard. Her family and her high school gang were there. Gabriela was next to Kelsi, Max had just jumped out from behind the sofa and was walking towards Ellie with a present in his hand, Ryan was leaning on the kitchen door with a smile on his face, Sarah, Tina and Tom were standing in the middle of the room surrounded by balloons. Finally, Zach, Shannon and Mark were holding up a 'Happy birthday, Ellie!' Poster that seemed to have fallen down a few second before.

Max walked up to Ellie and she wrapped her arms around him, smiling.

"Thank you," she mouthed to him as he gave her a present. She opened it and discovered a digital photo frame that was moving rapidly through pictures of her family and friends. "I thought you weren't getting me a present."

"Well, I just saw this stupid thing while I was, walking down the road," he joked and then hugged her again. He felt so good in her arms, the both felt home when they were hugging each other.

"Hey, let her to us too," Tom told Max as he took Ellie into his arms and softly kissed her on the lips. Max pushed his lips together in frustration, he never like Tom. "Happy Birthday again, babe," said the boy. Ellie smiled and kissed him back.

"Enough. Seriously, Tom, the mum's here," said Sarah said as she saw the expression on the elders face.

"Beside Max's getting overprotective," Shannon said as she went up to Max andput her arm around her boyfriend. "His brother instincts are taking over."

"Kids, there's pizza, there's music and there's a pretty big garden outside. Let's go!" cheered Gabriella. Getting the kids outside.

"Wait a sec," stopped Marc. "Why don't we watch my present?"

Everyone looked at the boy, confused. Then he pulled out a DVD that had the words 'Bolton's best matches' scribbled on it.

"Oh yeah!" said Ellie suddenly remembering her news but as she looked at Max she decided she would make it a surprise. They would all be able to see him in the first match of the season.

"What is it?" asked Tina.

"Um…nothing…I was just that lets watch them!" she said quickly. Soon enough most of the teenagers were sitting in front of the television, watching Troy shoot the most spectacular baskets. Gabriela Montez looked at her daughter's fascination sadly. Maybe if she had stayed thinks could've been so much better or worst but…to know that she would probably never find out that her hero was actually her father made her feel strange. It was like she was fighting fate, like she was stepping on rocks that shouldn't be stepped on, it was, as her mum would say, "nadar contracorriente".

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	7. 5:Things Happen, Destiny Happens

**5. Things Happen, Destiny Happens**

_A/N: So guys, here it is. A little mother interaction in this for you – hope you enjoy it. Please review._

"Did you like the surprise?" Asked Gabriella Montez as she took her shoes of and slid her feet slowly into the small pool. She searched her daughters lost gaze and a frown appeared on the mother's face – she was thinking, and Elizabeth Montez plus thinking meant trouble in every language.

"I'm seventeen," she said suddenly. Looking into her mother's eyes. "I know you say you can't remember anything about…him but, mum, I need to know who my father is."

"Honey I…"

But Ellie ignored her. "I've never pushed it, I've always kept all my questions to myself and so have I kept my suspicions at bay but I can't continue living this lie you've made up." Gabriella stared at her daughter in shock, she knew the Ellie could not know about Troy…it was impossible but then, what did she mean? She was about to ask when Ellie continued talking. "The way you hate me playing basketball, the way you seem to get lost in thought each time someone asks you anything about it, the way your eyes glisten and look like their swimming in memories each time you look straight at my eyes. It's not only you, I've asked Aunt Kelsi and Uncle Ryan if they knew anything and they said they didn't but you know good performers on stage are rubbish performers in life – I see it in their body language, they don't want to lie but they do and I've got a big feeling that it's because you asked them too. I'm not judging you, you're reasons may justify your lies completely – I get it! But I'm not a kid anymore; I can take whatever it is? So, I need to know for sure – there wasn't any one-night-stand, was there?"

Elizabeth looked up and saw her thirty-eight-year old mother near tears. She hadn't wanted to upset her but she always knew this subject was tough for Gabriela Montez. She had started suspecting that this was all a lie about a year ago but she hadn't wanted to believe it – she told herself that her dad was out there someone and he didn't even remember having slept with a brunette 20-year-old seventeen years back, but today, something had happened and she forced herself to stop believing a lie and to discover the truth after all these years. Gabriela remained silent, shocked and speechless. She decided she would take the easy way out, what was the chance Ellie would ever meet Troy Bolton, anyway?

"Are you sure you want the truth?" she asked, hating herself for doing what she was about to do.

Ellie nodded.

"Your dad and me met during some Christmas holidays a year before Graduation. We were put together to sing a song in a karaoke and we basically fell in love at first sight or more like first hearing. So, when the semester started I discovered that I had moved to the same high school that he was in. We fought so hard to be together – no one ever thought the nerd and the golden boy of the school would end up playing the main roles in the high school musical and started dating. Then, I got a scholarship for Stanford and he was trying to choose in between theatre and basketball. We both moved to California together and in the spur of the moment we decided to get married. Tro…He, your dad I mean, dropped out after getting a job with the Lakers…" Ellie's eyes were glistening, she was very angry that her mum had kept this from her but she knew she shouldn't judge until she heard the end. But, taking the anger to one side she was shocked, she couldn't believe her dad had got a job with the Lakers! "And I found out I was pregnant the night that he made the team and he came home and told me and I…"

"Yes?" Asked Ellie, tension growing inside of her.

"I…I was happy for him and I was gonna tell him the news but…you…and him…and things…"

"Mum, will you say it already," asked Ellie, beginning to grow worried and impatient.

Gabriella hated herself so much at that moment that she thought she would never be able to look at her reflection again. It was cruel, she knew it but she had spent the last seventeen years lying, she had to make sure her daughter wouldn't hate her. So she made it quick and by accident made it sound far too casual. "Well, the thing is that he got a call from the team asking him to come immediately, he got into his car before I could tell him a thing and got hit by a drunk driver five minutes later. He didn't make it," she told Ellie as she got up and put her shoes back on. She only realized how emotionless in had seemed when she saw Ellie looking at her, unbelieving.

"He's dead?" asked Ellie with a broken voice. Tears were falling freely down her face and Gabriella didn't know what to do so she took the easy way out, leaving the hard work to the one and only person who could do it better than her.

"I'll go get Max," she said quickly, going into the house and leaving Ellie alone, the only source of light being the moon and the pool. Ellie stared into space, she always thought her dad was out there and, with some luck, someday she would find him and just let him know that he had a daughter. What had left her more shocked, however, was the was her mum had said it. She had been so serious as she retold the whole story and then suddenly it was like she was reading the last sentence of snow white. Ellie guessed it was so that she didn't break down, it really seemed like they had loved each other. She pushed her feet out of the chilly water and sat down on the grass, curled up in a ball as she cried softly.

Two strong arms came around her from behind and she laid her head on, what she guessed was, Max's chest. He smelt good, she was sure it was the cologne that she gave him last Christmas, she gave him the same one each year but every single time she engraved a different message on the bottle. He did the same thing with the rose perfume that she always used.

"I'm guessing you told her about your suspicions?" asked Max. Ellie moved around a bit so that she ended up sitting on Max's lap, with her head resting on his moving chest. She nodded slowly. He glanced at her and, slowly, laid down on the grass; Ellie laid down with him but on her side so she could still see his eyes, she needed to feel the safety that his two grey diamonds gave her.

"He's dead." She said quickly, not really thinking. Max caressed her cheek softly and put a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.

"We knew it could be the case," he reminded her. "We figured out it would be the best reason for her to have been lying to you.

"But she didn't even stay to tell me how she thought it would hurt me or anything," Ellie cried. "I mean, I kind of understand and I'm trying not to be angry but it so hard when she just said that he got hit by a car so casually. It was like it didn't matter."

"Give her a break, EllieBelly," he whispered in her ear, using her favorite Nickname. "I mean, I haven't heard the story but a death is always hard and one the easiest ways to deal with it is to not give it any importance."

Ellie looked at him for a second and then sat up, he followed.

"When did you get so wise? How do you always know what to say?" She asked, looking straight at him.

"You made me wise. Without you I have no idea what to say," he answered, staring at her in the same manner.

"That's exactly what I mean, you've always been there; you've never been anywhere else…Not even now that you're dating Shannon," she said, distracted, but still looking straight at him.

"That's 'cause she doesn't mean a thing to me. Nothing means a thing to me; how could anything when you take up my whole world," he said poetically. Ellie wanted to break the gaze and hide, she didn't want him to see her blush but they were both blushing, hiding wasn't meant for them, blushing didn't matter right now.

"That's…nice," she said, and without noticing she pushed her head forward, wanting to get a closer look of his eyes. Max could feel her leaning in, the feeling of her breath on his neck was alarming, it was like feeling the touch of an angle.

"Yeah…nice," he repeated, closing up the space between them. The blue in her eyes reflected in his cloudy grey and their lips came together. Softly and quickly and it barely took a second – neither of them wanted to pull away but a small part of their heads made their hearts stop controlling their bodies and they pulled apart immediately, looking confused.

"I…I'm sorry," apologized Ellie after a few seconds.

"I need to go home," Max rushed as he stood up and walked away. Ellie did the first thing that came to her head. She cried.

* * *

"Ok! You two need to tell us what is going on," said Sarah as she watched two of her best friends sit across each other in the cafeteria table. "You haven't looked at each other in two week, or at least not unless you're shooting glances at each other and turning around at the speed of lighting when your eyes meet. Ellie and Max looked up for a second and looked back down immediately as their sights connected.

"I never thought I'd say this," started Zach." But, Sarah's right! Did anything happen?"

Ellie and Max continued looking down as they ate their pasta. The guys weren't talking any nonsense, the two of them hadn't spoken a word to each other since the kiss and it was starting to get to both of them. They both knew they'd have to talk it through eventually but they were doing their best to pull the date of 'eventually' as far back as they could.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Tina crossing her arms and stared disapprovingly, everyone looked up from their plates and stared at her; Ellie and Max included. "Tom, Shannon, haven't you noticed Ellie and Max being a little strange to you. I mean like, kissing and stuff.

Ellie and Max looked at Tina, begging looks plastered on their faces but Tina wasn't having any of it.

"Ellie went to the dentist, her mouth's been hurting for the past two weeks, we haven't kissed since the party" said Tom, looking confused at Tina.

"And Max has been telling me that we need to talk since the party," Shannon realized, shooting a death glare at Ellie. "I don't even know why I tried; it was obvious this would end up happening. Go to hell, the both of you," she shouted as she stood up and left the cafeteria.

"I still don't get it," stated Tom dumbly.

"I need to go, I've got a basketball practice," Ellie said, standing up and getting ready to leave.

"Need a lift?" asked Max.

Ellie was a little taken back, "arn't you gonna go up to her?"

"I should, I know it's horrible not to. But I've been making it obvious that it's not working for ages and she just runs away from it, for once she's actually running away from the 'relasionship', I can't keep on trying to telked to her in a civilized manner, if it has to end like this, let it end like this."

* * *

The car journey passed in complete silence. A very uncomfortable tension filled the car and Ellie was far more than grateful when it came to an end. She opened the door and stepped out but Max grabbed her hand before she could leave. His fingers lingered for a second but he let go as Ellie's gaze met his.

"We'll talk when I pick you up. We'll go to hill top and talk it through. I want it even less than you do but we need to talk," he told her seriously.

"Yeah, I get it. We'll _talk_," she said, joking a little. She smiled slightly which caused Max serious expression to fade and a smile to appear on his face.

"I'll see you later," he said.

"Yes, later," she said kissing his cheek softly before leaving. Max took his hand to the place where she had kissed him and smiled. No matter how wrong what he was feeling was, it felt so amazingly right.

* * *

"Ellie, you're late, I was worried," Troy said as Ellie made her way onto the court. He had grown extremely fond of the young girl and although he tried to hide it in front of his other students, they had formed a very special bond.

"I'm sorry, _dad_," Joked the teenager. She never imagined she'd get this close to her coach; however, she never even dreamed of getting this close Troy Bolton. The joke came out spontaneously; she only realized how weird it actually was during the lesson.

* * *

"Ok, girls, great lesson! I'll see you all next week," he announced as the lesson ended and the girls went home. All the girls except for Ellie had left; the girl in question was sitting on the stands, looking into thin air. Troy looked up and saw her there, alone and obviously not feeling at her best.

"Hey, Ellie, what's up?" He asked as he sat down beside her.

"Nothing," she answered without looking up.

"Oh, come on, don't give me that! I play like you played today when something's wrong with me, which basically means that you and I both play like shit when we haven't got our head's in the game," he told her.

"I kissed my best friend and he's waiting for me outside. Any advice?" Ellie begged.

"Don't ask me about anything to do with love. The last proper date I had was when I was nineteen, I'd tell you to follow your heart but that's exactly what I did and I got it broken," he confessed.

"It's just…since that kiss…It's like a know nothing anymore, it changed the way I see everything," she explained. Everything that was going on was extremely confusing for Ellie – she was having a tough time adjusting to thin whole new world she seemed to be living in.

"That happens. Sometimes a kiss or just hearing someone's voice might change your whole world around. Talk it with him; I'm sure the exact same thing is happening to him."

"Ellie are you…?" Shouted Max Evans as he walked onto the court looking for his best friend. However, he sure didn't expect to find Troy Bolton talking to her.

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	8. 6:It was an amazing day

**6. It was an amazing day**

"Ellie are you…?" shouted Max Evans as he walked onto the court looking for his best friend. However, he sure didn't expect to find Troy Bolton talking to her. "You….what…him…You're Troy Bolton!" he babbled.

"Yeah, I am," smiled troy as he got up and shook the boy's static hand. "I'm guessing this is the best friend, right?" Troy asked Ellie who was having a laughing fit as she nodded and looked at Max, who might have seen a ghost by the expression on his face. Ellie stood up and slapped Max lightly on the back of the head.

"Seriously, not even_ I_ looked like such a retard when I saw him," she said as he regained his composure and then she hit him again.

"Ouch! What the hell was that one for?" he asked as he touched the spot where she had hit him.

"For spoiling the surprise, I was going to present him to the whole family on Saturday at the big game but you've just ruined it. Max, this is Troy Bolton, the Ravens new coach," Ellie spoke, making Max's jaw drop.

"The Raven's…what?" he asked, unbelieving.

"The Raven's coach," she said as she walked up to Troy and put her hand on his shoulder. "Pathetic, right? Everyone's wondering where the hell the best basketball player on the planet has disappeared too and, actually, he's coaching an all-girl New York High School team."

"You'd rather me go and coach another team? Because I'm sure quite a few would be interested," asked Troy with a smirk.

"Fine by me. I don't need the 'Basketball God' or whatever to be the most amazing female player; I have been since I was born. It's in my genes; my dad was selected to play for the lakers," she boasted with an identical smirk. Max was watching them completely stunned, it was like he wasn't there anymore and they were in there own little world were all that existed was an extremely strong bond between them.

"Seriously?" Troy looked impressed. "And where's your dad?"

Suddenly the whole relaxed and friendly atmosphere seemed to freeze and Troy realized it.

"Did I say something?" Troy asked. The thought of having upset his favorite student really wasn't welcoming. Max came up to Ellie and put his arm around her. Both their hearts started beating faster as their skin touched.

"My dad died before I was born, I only really found out a few weeks ago," she told her couch, eyeing Max slightly as she said the last bit. "I don't even know his name. It was real tough on my mother, so I don't really ask."

Troy didn't even have to think about what to do next he put an arm around her and pushed her slightly into him giving her a big hug. It seemed so natural; he really hadn't ever felt so close to someone, it was like they should have met before, like they were family.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear.

"It doesn't matter," she replied as she pulled back and whipped her tears. "I'm just still getting used to the idea. We've got to go anyway, don't we?" she asked Max, who still didn't look fully recovered.

"I…Yes, I guess it's about time we go and…you know…talk," he mumbled, causing Ellie to giggle and Troy to chuckle.

"See you both at the big match then," he told them. And they smiled and walked out of the gym, into a dark night.

* * *

The two of them were laying on the dark grass, a beautiful view of a part of New York in front of them but they were looking up above; into a starless sky.

"I don't get why we think we'll get any talking down up here. We always just sit down and look at the black sky that for some unknown reason we both love and fall asleep until our mums come to get us and tell us that we nearly gave them a heart attack," Ellie spoke after a very long silence and then quickly added, "Oh! And then we get a cold."

Max chuckle and turned to face Ellie who did the exact same thing a moment later. "We come up here 'cause it gets us thinking. We need to talk about it, Ellie. And let's do it without half-words, unfinished sentences and mumbles, can we? Let's talk about it like we always talk about everything."

"But this isn't like everything, Max," snapped Ellie as she sat up and looked at him hardly. "We kissed. You and I have known each other since we were born. How many times did we sleep in the same bed as kids or…tell each other that we were FAMILY as teenagers. We kissed. And this isn't at all like anything that's happened before."

"So you're gonna tell me that you've never imagined kissing me? That the thought has never even crossed your mind?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes but…I…its different…You're a guy and…I'm a girl and those…you know…thoughts…just occur," Ellie babbled badly.

"Not with your brother, Ellie. Or at least I don't think so," Max told as he reached to hold her hand. "I'm confused, Ellie. I don't know what happened the other day but I know something did 'because that kiss was anything but nothing. I don't know what's going on but since then I can't stop thinking about it and I just…" Ellie cut him off with a hard kiss. She didn't really know why she would do that but she really couldn't take anymore of him analyzing everything. She, inexplicably, just wanted to feel the feeling of his lips on hers once again.

"What does this mean?" asked Max slowly as they pulled away.

"Firstly, it means that I've got to break up with Tom. Secondly…let's take care of secondly when it comes, ok?" she asked. He smiled and nodded, standing up and helping her up a second later.

"Let me take you home?" he said elegantly, opening the door of his truck.

"With pleasure, _sir_," she laughed.

* * *

"See you tomorrow, and remember to not say a thing to your parents about Troy, ok?" Ellie told Max as he parked the car in front of her house. "Send me your Spanish homework in an email when you get home, Bye."

"Don't worry, I'm not that disorganized. I'll manage, see you tomorrow, EllieBelly," he laughed and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow, Mike Jagger," she shouted as the car drove off. She got out her keys and entered the house, dropping down on the sofa as soon as she could.

"How was the day, Hun?" Gabriella asked her daughter as she entered the living room with a bowl of food she was probably cooking.

"Umm…" she started, looking down at the ground but then a smile appeared on her face and she looked her mom straight in the eyes. "You know what? It was an amazing day."

**The Big Game's In the Next Chapter**

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	9. 7:The Big Game

**7. The Big Game**

Ellie was putting on her special red basketball shoes when Max sat on the bench were my foot was. He smiled up at me and I returned the smile as I finished tying up my shoe and sat next to him.

"You're not allowed to be here, singer," I laughed, faking to tell him off.

"I gave him permission," said Troy as he passed in front of them. "Use your lucky charm if you've got one." He smiled at the pair and kept on walking.

"Are you going to do the audition?" I asked, causing Max to frown.

"It's your big day today; can't we make it about you and forget about the fact that the best male player at East High isn't good enough to get a scholarship in a university like the California one?" he snapped, looking at the ground in deception. I put my hand under his chin and made him look at me straight in the eye. "You _are_ good enough…you'll be offered one and you know you will, just not in basketball. The California University is expanding its dramatic arts department, they want you and they're interested. Give it a shot."

"Easy for you to say, you've got a scholarship there for sure," he said, getting out of my grip and looking the other way. "Look at me," I ordered. "Look at me, Max." He looked. "I got that scholarship because I'm a girl and we're in a time where men and woman are trying to be equal in everything. My heart belongs in that court, underneath everyone, but yours doesn't. You belong on the stage, on top of everyone. I know you love basketball but, I've seen you up there, and if you'd rather study at U and A with a basketball scholarship that at California with a drama scholarship, it's your decision. But, if I get a say in it, University is a new stage and I really don't wanna have to live that stage without you."

Max opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.

"Ellie, team talk!" shouted Melanie, from the other side of the room. Ellie looked at Max apologetically but he smiled at her. She felt an impulse and kissed him softly on the lips, she pulled back to find him looking at her questioningly. "For luck," she explained.

He smiled at her and gave her another peck on the lips. He pulled back and laughed at her raised eyebrow as he stood up and headed for the door. "For luck," he shouted at her as he left.

* * *

Max sat down next to Tom, who looked at him dumbly.

"Did you go and see Ellie?" he asked, Max nodded, not daring to look at him in the eye. The guilt of this whole thing with Ellie was eating him up. "I think she wants to break up with me, she's been giving me the 'we have to talk' thing the whole week."

"Maybe you should talk with her," max suggested, still looking at the ground.

"Yeah, if she wants to split up it's not like I'm gonna be able to stop her? But, when I find out who the guy is…" Max looked up at this, fear shinning through his eyes.

"What makes you think there's another guy?" he asked quickly and with a nervous smile.

"I'm not Einstein but I'm not that stupid, I've noticed her acting weird for the past few weeks and I'm gonna figure out who it is," he said with a threatening tone.

"Listen, mate, I…" but he was interrupted by the loud speaker.

"_Welcome to the first game of the female basketball high school league. We are in New York at the Ravens' place! And it's time we present you our new coach. He's a great professional and no one hasn't hear of him, he took this job as a challenge and as amazing as it might seem, here comes the new couch of the Ravens, Tro…"_

"OH, MY, GOD!"cried Gabriella Montez as her still-husband walked into the court. A lot of faces turned around to see the source of the cry of desperation, including the one of the coach whose heart stopped beating as he saw her. Their eyes met and as much as she wanted to look away and hide, she found she was caught in his hand stare. The team came out and everyone started cheering but Gabriela and Troy found themselves in their own world of lies and questions without answers, they hadn't seen each other in 18 years and all the feelings they had tried to bury came rushing back.

"Gabriela, breath," begged Kelsi Evans as she tugged her best friends arm. Gabriela looked away and looked at Kelsi, as if asking what was going on.

"Didn't Ellie say anything?" asked Ryan, looking worried. And then remembering the last time he saw his high school friend.

---_Flashback---_

_Ryan looked over his sleeping pregnant wife and smiled, in less than four months he'd be the father of a small boy. That was when the doorbell rang._

_Ryan opened the door and new drama had come when he saw a bad-looking Troy Bolton staring at him._

"_Troy, come in," he said, letting him in._

"_I'm sorry to interrupt Ryan, I know I haven't talked to you in months but I needed to ask you if you had seen Gabby in the last four months," he asked indirectly, looking down at the ground. Ryan felt horrible having to lie to him, it wasn't fair, Tory looked terrible; he hadn't shaved in ages, his hair was a mess and his eyes were red and puffy, there were dark bags underneath those same two eyes too and he seriously smelled._

"_What do you mean? Isn't…isn't she with…with you?" I asked, hating myself for lying at the poor man in front of me._

"_She was, until she left four months ago," he told his friend as tears begun to form in his eyes._

"_I'm…I'm sorry to hear that, Troy," Ryan said._

"_We were happy, I just got into the Ravens for the next season and when I told her she disappeared," he explained. "I've looked for her, everywhere. I've told the police but they seem to think she can't have gone missing because she took all her stuff with her. I'm dying, Ryan. To not know where she is, it's killing me!" he cried._

"_I'm sorry Troy, I have no idea where she might be," lied Ryan. Troy stood up and walked to the door. _

"_You were the last place I could look. If she's out there she doesn't want to be found. I don't want to give upon her but I don't know what to do, another day like this and I might as well buy a tomb! If she left, she's left, there's nothing else I can do," Troy said, going out._

"_Don't you wanna stay for a bit longer?" asked Ryan, trying to feel less guilty._

"_No, I'm going to get back to California," he said and then gave Ryan a half smile. "How's Kelsi?"_

_Ryan smiled for the first time. "Five months pregnant, she's good. The three of us are good."_

"_I'm glad. Look, if she calls or anything – whenever- please call me, ok?" And then he left, not to be spoken to for a long time._

_---End of Flashback---_

Gabriela looked at Ryan and shook her head.

"I can't believe this is happening," she whispered, looking at Troy interact with his team, then she noticed how one of his arms was on Ellie's shoulder. She stood up; ready to leave when Kelsi pulled her back down.

"Ellie needs you here, she won't forgive you if you just leave," she said as she looked at me with sympathy.

"There's no running away from this, is there?" Kelsi and Ryan just shook their heads.

* * *

"Troy are you, ok?" Ellie asked as the coach finished their team talk.

"Remember that friend who left?" Ellie looked at him confused for a second and then realized what he was talking about. She nodded. "I just saw her. Play your best today, ok? For me."

"I will, coach," Ellie smiled and gave Troy a hug. "It'll be ok," she assured.

"You know? For the first time, I actually believe those words when they come from you," Troy laughed and hugged Ellie back. This girl had seriously reached him in ways he had never imagined, it was completely platonic but he could swear he loved the girl.

Gabriela watched in complete disbelief as her daughter hugged her father, it was like fate was playing a cruel joke on her.

---

20 seconds left and one point behind. Troy loved these moments, he knew they were going to win, he could feel it. He called a time out.

"Lindsey, do play 3, ok ?" the girl nodded. "Margaret you follow it with Melanie and then, Ellie or Penny take a shot. It's a chance, it's a game girl and we're gonna win it. So go win it. Go Ravens!"

Lindsay advance and made her way through the defenders, she then passed back and Margaret took it, she faked that she was making a shot and passed in to Melanie. It looked like the best option was to pass to Penny, who was near to the basket but would have a tough time shooting. No one expected her to pass back to Ellie who took a shot from a meter away from the half-way line. And no one expected that shot to actually go in.

"Beep!" sounded the end of the game and the victory of the Ravens. All of the Ravens began celebrating but troy caught Gabriela trying to make her way out. He ran behind her and, after a lot of pushing and shoving he caught her about to leave, he was at the beginning and she was at the end of a long passageway but they both turned.

"Why?" he asked in a shout. The tears ran down her face, the guilt reflected in every one of them.

"It was the best thing to do," she shouted back. "You don't understand."

"Then help me understand," he said making his way towards her. She stayed still.

"It's complicated, I never thought I'd see you again," she cried as she sobbed. He reached her and looked at her with hurt eyes.

"You just left without any explanation, no note, no nothing. You could've been kid napped," he told her.

"It was more…more than obvious that I'd left," she said through her sobs.

"Why?" he repeated. She looked down and he caught her chin and made her look into his eyes. "Why, Gabby?"

Gabriela stared at him and shook her head, "I can't tell you."

Then she gulped and started running towards her car. He ran after her but as he reached he heard someone call him back in, he turned back a second and as he faced the parking lot again, she was gone.

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	10. 8:The After Party

** After-Party**

"Something was up with Troy at the match, he saw this old…" Ellie started as she slow danced with Max. They were at Melissa's house, were the after-party was being thrown.

"Ellie…"

"What?" she snapped at him. She knew exactly 'what'.

"Stop trying to change the subject, he's going to find out sooner or later, it won't be long before Shannon says something to Tom," he told her as they moved as one.

"What have you told her? Shannon…I mean." Ellie asked, wanting any help she could get in breaking up with her boyfriend of one year. She had never been that much into Tom but he was nice and made her laugh, but she had to admit he was extremely thick.

"I told her that it just happened and we didn't plan it and that I never meant to hurt her. Then she asked I was in love with you," he said the last part casually as he spun her around slowly. He rolled her in so that they were breathing into each other's faces.

"And what did you answer?" she asked with a cheeky smile.

---

Tom watched as his girlfriend and her best friend talked as they dance in a close embrace. He was racking his brains, thinking about who the guy could be. He found himself fearing the moment that would soon come, when he'd asked Ellie out he never thought he'd end up falling so hard for her. Was it love? He didn't really know, but he really didn't want it to end. As to the guy who was taking her away, the minute he found out who the jerk was he'd make him pay for taking something that wasn't his. His eyes turned to the spot where his still girlfriend was still dancing.

"You finally figured it out?" asked Shannon as she followed his gaze.

"Figured what out?" he asked dumbly, looking at the Latin girl.

"You're the living image of a Hollywood jock, you're looking at them and you don't even realize!" she stated in disbelief. How could the boy be so blind?

"Looking at who?" he asked, and then realized who she was referring to. "You mean Ellie and Tom?"

"They're basically kissing, Tom! How many times have you and I been told that it was stupid to go out with them? How many times have people told us that they were meant for each other and we were standing in the way of fate? How many people have been sure that they'd end up together before graduation?"

"What are you talking about? They're Ellie and Max. They're like…it's not…I…" he mumbled. The more he tried to find words, the more he came to realize that Shannon's words made perfect sense. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. He looked at the spot where the two teenagers had been dancing to find that they were leaving, laughing and holding hands. He felt his stomach lurk at the sight, how could he have been so stupid? He followed, them, fury running through his veins.

* * *

_At the Montez House:_

Kelsi followed a panicked Gabriella into the had managed to find Gabriela and drived her home. Gabriella ran up to her room andstarted throwing clothes into a bag, mumbling stuff to herself.

"Gabby, stop it," she said, calmly, hoping that her best friend would listen to her. However, Gabriella was in her own little world of guilt and secrets. She kept on throwing stuff into the bag in no apparent order.

"Kelsi, can I talk to her?"Said a calm voice from behind. Kelsi turned around, stunned to hear that voice. Gabriella didn't stop; however, it was like she hadn't heard the voice at all.

"I don't know if that's an amazing idea, Troy. How did you get here anyway?" she asked while Gabriella's panic attack continued.

"Kelse, I showed him the way, let him talk to her," Ryan said from behind Troy. Kelsi looked disapprovingly at her husband but walked out of the room. Giving the still married couple some privacy.

Troy looked at Gabriella, who was oblivious to his presence, she was shaking badly and she wasn't herself at all. Troy knew what to do immediately, she had been in the exact same state when she had been told that her mum had died, she was in her own little world with a clear objective. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, she tried to resist and get out of his grip but he was too strong. He was angry at her but to have her in his arms was something he would have killed for anytime, he couldn't quite believe it was her standing there.

"Gabriella, stop!" he told her, but she kept on resisting.

"Gabs, please, listen to me. It's gonna be okay," he said calmly and with a sweet voice. "I'm here, it's okay."

She stopped and started crying hysterically against his shirt. She could feel all the lies she had told eating her insides up, she could feel the guilt corroding her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she repeated once and again. Troy sat down with Gabriella in his arms and, running his fingers through her hair, he consoled her; he wasn't stupid, he knew this wasn't all going to be smiles and happily ever afters', specially not until she gave him the answers he needed so much but right now she needed him and he was here, even if she really didn't deserve it.

* * *

"If I tell you, you might freak out," Max said as he lead Ellie to the front of the house, where the two of them could be alone.

"So, you said yes?" Ellie asked seductively as she ran her hand through his hair.

"Maybe, maybe not," he joked mysteriously as he smiled widely. But soon the smile left his face as a fist connected hardly with his jaw.

"Tom!" Ellie shouted. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Ellie stay out of this," said Max as he stood up from the ground and looked hardly at Tom.

"Don't you dare give me that macho-fight shit, Max Evans! And as for you, Tom, I've asked you a question," Ellie shouted, standing in between the guys.

"So, let me get this right, cheating's not enough for you, is it? You can't even let me beat up the guy who thinks he can take you even if you belong to someone else," he stated, his fist clenched and ready to hit his opponent again.

"Don't talk to her like she's a possession!" shouted Max from behind me.

"Max, get out of here!" Ellie ordered, getting a confused glance from the teenager. "I said get out, this really has nothing to do with you. I need to speak to Tom."

"I'll wait for you in the car," he told her but she shook her head.

"I'll go walking, my house isn't far away."

He left and Ellie looked at Tom with guilt spread across her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she told him.

"Why?" he simply asked. No drama or crying or silliness, just a simple question.

"It happened once and then again and I only thought about myself. I never meant to hurt you but we knew it really wasn't going anywhere right...our relationship, I mean...it's not like we were really going to make it through senior year. You agree?" Ellie asked. It was true, she never thought her and Tom would make it past a month but they managed; however, senior year was a whole new story.

"Yes, you're right," he lied, putting a fake smile on his face. "It's not like it really meant much did it. I'm sorry about my reaction."

"Friends?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure, see you around," he told her, walking away. Ellie watched him walk away and was extremely glad they both stood on the same line. What she didn't know is that, as he walked away, he raised his hand to his face and swiped of the tears that were falling because of her.

**We'll get more Troyella fights in the next chapter,**

**Maybe even some Ryelsi (or whatever you call them),**

**As long as you want it, that is...**

**Want another chapter?**

**Tell me in your review...**


	11. 9:It's All About An Impulse

_A/N: Hey, people, sorry for not updating in a while but I had more reviews for more other two stories and I thought it was only fair if I used my extra time to write the most-wanted chapters. Sorry to those of you who _did_ review but, as my mum would say, no human has 8 hands. Anyway, here is the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it...PLEASE REVIEW!!_

**Chapter 9 – It's all about an Impulse**

Ellie walked into the parking lot. She had told Max that she'd walk home but it was chilly and she had had a few drinks at the party; she decided she'd call her mum.

"Get in," said a voice behind her. Ellie recognised it immediately

"What part don't you understand about..." she was about to finish the sentence when she turned around and saw a very bad looking bruise on Max's face. She bit her lip and lifted her hand to it, max flinched as her skin touched the bruise. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be it's both our faults, we should have stopped it after the first time," spoke the teenage boy. Ellie frowned at this.

"So you regret having continued?" she asked, slightly fearing the answer.

"I should say that I do, shouldn't I?" he asked in response. Making Ellie's frown disappear and move towards him. Ellie went on her tiptoes and put her arms around Max's.

"Probably, but lying is never useful, at least not if you lie to me," she told him before leaning in for a kiss. "Let's go to the cabin," Ellie suggested slightly worried about her partners reaction to this idea.

"I don't think so, Elle," the sever-teen-year old said, getting out of the girl's grip and getting into the car. Ellie got into the car, too and looked at him hardly.

"Why not?" She asked. "We can just hang around; you know I love it up there."

"You know perfectly why not," Max said as he started the car.

"Enlighten me," Ellie spoke confidently.

"Let me think, Ellie. Our parents are waiting for us at home, the cabin is an hour away from here, we've got to revise for our two exams on Monday, I've got the stupid auditions on Tuesday and I don't think it's a good idea for the two of us to be alone together the whole night," he explained. Ellie looked at him with a smirk.

"Who are you and what have you done to my..." Ellie stopped, dead in tracks. What was he? He was still her best friend but he was more now, right?"

"Your what?" asked Max cheekily, mocking her.

She laughed and spoke, "My Max."

"Oh! So now I belong to you?"

"Yup. And that's why you are gonna talk the road A-5 south and we're gonna go to the cabin," she ordered. Max knew this was gonna end up badly but she couldn't say no that beautiful smile and she couldn't reject those breathtaking blue eyes which were even visible in the dark night.

"You're gonna be the end of me, Ellie-Belly," he told her with a smile as he took the road A-5 south.

* * *

Gabriela's eyes opened slightly. She was disoriented. She could feel that she was sitting on hard floor but she had been sleeping in someone's strong arms. She then breathed in and the familiar sent of 'him' came in through her nose, making yesterday's events rush into her mind. She jumped up from Troy's embrace, making him wake up.

Troy made a protesting sound as he opened his eyes lazily and looked up at Gabriela. He looked back down at himself and realised he was sitting on the floor, leaning against a bed and wearing his coach suit. He realised he must have fallen asleep when he was comforting Gabriela last night. He stood up and took a step towards Gabriela, who took a step away from him. 'Not this again, it's far too early,' Troy said to himself.

"You really have to leave, Troy," Gabriela said, opening the door and looking out to see if Ellie was anywhere.

"We have to talk this through, Gabby," Troy told her calmly.

"I need you to..." But she was interrupted by the phone ringing. She picked up and took the phone to her ear, only to hear a very worried Kelsi mumbling stuff on the other side on the line.

"Kelsi, calm down, explain what's wrong slowly," Gabriela said, in an attempt to understand what her best friend was saying. Troy heard a bit of mumbling and then Gabriela's confused expression turned into one of worry.

"Yes, I'll check it, just...you...I'll call you back," nervously ranted Gabriela.

"What's wrong?" asked Troy. Gabriela wanted to rush out of the room and check if her daughter was in bed but she knew Troy would see her or the room if she did and she didn't need more problems right now.

"Kelsi's and Ryan's son was at the after-party yesterday and he still hasn't got home. I don't know where Max could be..." she explained.

"Max? As in a tall, blonde, seventeen-year-old guy who's going out with Ellie...Ellie...Oh God, I forgot her surname."

"Max is going out with Ellie?" shouted Gabriela. "Ellie, as in black curly hair, blue eyes, basketball player...?"

"Yes, she plays on my team. They've got a thing going on; Ellie told me they used to be best friend's and kissed on her birthday or something..."

Gabriela looked at Troy, confused. How the hell did he know something about Ellie that she didn't. However, she didn't really spend a lot of time thinking about this. She ran out of the room and checked Ellie's bed, discovering that she wasn't there. She came out and closed the door before Troy got to see where she had gone. She called Kelsi on her cell phone but Ryan picked up.

"Is she there?" asked Ryan.

"No, but I have a slight idea where they might be," Gabriela told her, Troy looked at her strangely.

This time Kelsi spoke, making it obvious that Gabriela had been on loudspeaker.

"Where?"

"If I tell you nnow you won't understand, I'll go round your house. I'll be there in ten minutes," Gabriela said, grabbing the car keys and opening the door.

"I'll go with you," stated Troy as he followed Gabriela.

"You can't, Kelsi and Ryan won't be comfortable with a lot of people there," Gabriela explained but she only gained a hard look from Troy.

"I was their best friend once!" he protested.

"You said it yourself...once..." Gabriela said a little more harshly than she had intended.

"Maybe I would still be if you hadn't left me for no reason 18 years ago!" Troy defended himself, getting angry and raising his voice.

"I didn't leave you for no reason, Troy! Do you have any idea how hard it was to get used to living without you? Do you know that tonight was the first time in 18 years that I have not woken up in the middle of the night, seeing your face in every one of my dreams? You don't have the slightest idea how much I cried as I packed those two suitcases and kissed you on the forehead as you slept, oblivious to everything!" Gabriela shouted.

"At least you had a reason. I looked for you around the whole globe for two years, Gabriela! I spent all of my money on privet investigators who told me you must have changed your name because there was no record of a Gabriela Bolton anywhere. Then we looked for Gabriela Montez and we found a lot of interesting things." Gabriela caught her breath. "But mainly I found a lot of calls to Kelsi and Ryan Evans – who had assured me they would inform me if they ever knew anything about you. Then I remembered what they had looked like when they _lied_ to me about having no idea where you were and that made me realize that you didn't want me back at all, so I forgot you! But then I retired and I remembered that you had bought a house at New York and I thought that _maybe_ if you saw me coaching a small team and found out that I was in the same city as you you would come to me. I definitely didn't expect you to appear at my first game and change everything; when I retired a lot of old wounds started hurting again but this girl from my team who you obviously know was cheering me up with her natural way of being, Ellie is like the daughter I've never had." Gabriela gulped. "And she made me realize that without you I'm not whole, that I need you, that's why I was going to start another investigation tomorrow, but then you appeared.

Gabriela had tears falling down her face. She looked at Troy for a second and shook her head.

"I was only looking for the best for _everyone_, Troy," Gabriela sobbed.

"How the hell was that the best for everyone? I lost my mind looking for you and you obviously wanted to be with me, so, tell me Gabriela, was there someone else in this equation?" Troy asked. Gabriela realized he was asking her if there had been another man.

"Yes," she answered, making Troy look at her with hurt reflected in the eyes that Gabriela had seen in Ellie every day since her birth. "But not in the way you think."

Her phone started ringing and Gabriela saw that it was Kelsi again. Troy and her were already standing in the front garden of the house. "I need to go," she said, turning around and heading for her car. Troy grabbed her arm to stop her for a second.

"We need to talk," Troy said.

"I know," calmly replied Gabriela. She looked at troy for a second and even though they were both angry at each other and things were pretty bad between them, as she was face to face with him she couldn't help but follow the impulse. She kissed his cheek softly and slowly, she pulled back and Troy leaned in to kiss her on the lips but she turned around and ran for the car.

* * *

Kelsi was nervous. Max wasn't a little boy anymore and she knew he could look after himself but she couldn't help but wonder if something bad could have happened to him and her goddaughter.

"Stop worrying, Kelse. Gabby said she thinks she knows where they are," Ryan calmed her.

"We should tell him, after this is over," Kelsi said. Ryan put a hand over her still-flat stomach. He smiled to himself.

"He's gonna be surprised. Not that many people get their first sibling at 17," Ryan half-laughed.

"Not that many woman get pregnant at 38," Kelsi smiled.

"Just try and keep calm ok. The stress isn't good for the baby. When he's back, we'll have a talk with Ellie and him about worrying us like this and we'll tell everyone about the baby."

Kelsi snuggled closer into Ryan, taking in his sweet scent and feeling the safety that always came with being in his arms. They stayed like that for a few minutes and stood up when they heard a key opening the door. Then they saw Gabriela come in with slightly puffy eyes and looking like she had just woken up. She sat down opposite them and half-smiled.

"Well, it seams that we might as well end up being _real_ family in the end," she spoke. Ryan and Kelsy sent her confused looks. "According to my dear husband, Ellie and Max have 'a thing going on'."

"Your daughter and our son, who have been like brother and sister since they were born, have a thing going on?" asked Ryan incredulously.

"According to Troysie, yes they do," said Gabriela.

"You sound like Shar," commented Ryan as he heard Gabriela refer to the love of her life as 'Troysie'.

"Well, she got over him and she called him 'Troysie', right? Maybe I'll get lucky and I'll forget him..." Gabriela joked.

"Sorry to stop the fun," said Kelsi, in the most non-apologetic manner Ryan and Gabriela had ever heard. "But Gabby, you said that you thought you knew where they were..."

"Isn't it obvious?" Gabriela asked. "Think about it...where have Max and Ellie always been happier together since they were kids?"

"The hill top was the first place I checked," Ryan told her.

"Not the hill top. But, think about it, why do they love that hill top so much?" asked Gabriela.

"Because they love being high up, so they can see everything from a distance. But i don't see how that helps with..." dumbly started Ryan. However, Kelsi got the gist of what Gabriela was trying to say.

"They're at the Cabin!"

* * *

_A/N: Hope you like it. Please tell me what you liked/didn't like. Leave your review, pleasepleaseplease!!!! REVIEW!!!!!!_


	12. 10:Love Simply Sucks

_A/N: IMPORTANT!!!Hey Guys, what up? For some reason I've been getting less reviews than usual and I was wondering why. Is the story getting boring? Because if it is maybe I could do something about it, could you tell me what's up with it...please? BTW: Do you all remember chapter 5 – when Mr. Carter (physics teacher) picked up Ellie from practice to take her to her surprise party. He's in this chapter so if you don't remember, maybe you should go back._

**10. Love Simply Sucks**

Ellie smiled and she and Max lay in each other's arms. What happened last night had been simply magical, right now she felt like she was floating on a cloud. She signed as she saw what time it was and she moved out of Max's grip, he moaned slightly.

"Come back here," he said as he grabbed her arm playfully, he hadn't even opened his eyes.

"Come on, Max, what if our parents think we can be here and they come and find us...like this?" she asked him.

"Well, I guess you've got a point," he agreed as he stood up hesitantly and grabbed his jeans. Ellie was looking into space, lost in thought; she wasn't really sure how all of this had happened, a month ago Max was like her brother, her best friend and now the two of them had shared something that she had had never shared with anyone else. She felt two strong arms around her and she smiled.

"You're not regretting it, are you?" Max asked thoughtfully, quite scared of the possible answer. Ellie turned around and kissed him softly, letting all her love for him slip into that gesture.

"It's kind of weird," she said as she leaned against his shirtless torso. "I mean, I never guess it'd happen with you but yet I'd never want it to happen with anyone else...I think I'm in love with you," she confessed as she hugged him tightly. He kissed the top of her head and smiled at the wonderful strawberry scent of her black hair.

"I know for a fact that you are," he told her cheekily. She pulled away from him and punched him playfully on the chest.

"Well," she said seductively. "I know for a fact that you love me too."

Max kissed her hardly and smiled against her lips, stopping the kiss.

"If we don't stop we're gonna end up spending another night up here and we'll have our parent call the police."

"If it wasn't for Gabriela's intelligent thinking we probably would have already," said a voice from behind the two of them followed by the sound of the door closing.

"Shit," murmured Max as he recognised his dad's voice. He had his back to him and Ellie could see her 'uncle' looking at her with a mixture of shock and disapproving. Max looked straight at Ellie. "My dad's standing right behind me, isn't he?" he asked her, knowing that his dad was listening. Ellie bit her lip and nodded. "And I'm standing with my arms around you, shirtless, right?" She responded with the same gesture as before. Max turned around and smiled at Ryan Evans as he grabbed his t-shirt and put it on.

"Which one of you is going to explain?" Ryan Evans asked calmly. He'd never been a strict dad, he'd always been the smiling one who didn't spoil or scare his kid. He liked being a father at all times, all times except for when you find your son and your 'niece' as good as sleeping together.

"Uncle Ryan, it's my fault I talked Max into coming here, he didn't want too," Ellie explained.

Max looked at the tense atmosphere and decided to give a shot at lightening it. "What she said," he spoke in a half-laugh.

"For god's sake, can't you take anything seriously, Max!" shouted Ryan. The two teenagers looked at him, almost scared at seeing him react like this.

"I'm sorry, dad," muttered Max. "It wasn't Ellie's fault. Yes, she gave the idea but I brought her here."

"What you did was irresponsible! Couldn't you even call us before getting here, you know there's no coverage up here and your mothers a worried sick. Not to mention that we've suddenly discovered that you two have 'a thing going on', like to explain?"

"Dad, we're teenagers, we spend night off and get you all worried. It's not like it's a big deal and stop looking at me like that just because it's Ellie I'm with, when you caught me with the other you didn't..."

"What?" asked Ellie incredulously. She turned around to look straight at Max; she could feel tears threatening to fall. "What do you mean 'with the others'?"

Max suddenly looked guilty, he put a hand on Ellie shoulder but she shook it off violently.

"How could I be so naive?" she asked herself with a laugh that wasn't caused at all by funny thoughts.

"Ellie...I..." tried Max.

"Just leave it, it's my own fault. After all, you _are_ East High's Golden Boy," she spoke, trying hard not to break down there and then.

"Ellie, why don't you get into the car?" asked Ryan, trying to not make a big situation out of this.

"Yes, sure," she said as she walked out, but not without shooting a dirty look at Max. Max sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands.

"You just had to come here and ruin this, didn't you?" Max asked angrily, without looking at his father.

"Don't you dare blame this on me. Ellie isn't any of those cheerleaders! I love Ellie as a daughter and what you did is unforgivable. Why do you kids have to rush everything? Ellie's special Max and I can't believe you used her like..."

"I didn't use her! She wanted to come here, I didn't. Yes, I'm no saint, we all know that but I love, Ellie!" Max screamed. "I always have, maybe not always like this but one way or another she's always been my everything! I love her, dad."

Ryan was slightly taken back but believed every word that his son was saying. It's not like he'd never thought that Ellie and Max might someday get together but...after all these years it was just strange.

"Then why didn't you wait to do things properly?" Ryan asked but he wasn't waiting for an answer. He shook his head at his son in disappointment and walked to the car, where Ellie was already sitting in the back seat.

"Can you get him to sit at the front seat?" Ellie asked with a quiet voice and her arms folded tightly around her chest.

"Hun, I could try but...I really don't think we'd get anywhere for hours," he said as Max came into the back of the car and started pestering Ellie with excuses and apologies. Ryan took off as he listened to his son try and explain useless explanation.

"Look Ellie does times weren't in the least..."

"Max," she finally shouted, making the two Evans in the car flinch. "Stop it, now. I was stupid to think that that was your first time. It's not your fault, I'm not really angry at you. But I don't wanna talk to you or be near you or hear those pathetic excuses. So if you really care and love me so much...just leave me alone."

The journey was quite after that.

* * *

"I'm pregnant," said Kelsi and her and Gabriela sat on the sofa. Gabriella looked at her, stunned.

"You're pregnant?" she asked, an unbelieving look decorating her tanned face.

"Yes, three months," she answered with a smile. Gabriella hugged her friend hardly as the door opened to reveal Ryan, a sad-looking Ellie and a guilty-looking Max.

The two woman ran to hug their children tightly. Gabriela was the first to pull back and look at her daughter sternly.

"The whole night! What the hell where you thinking? And you," she said pointing an accusing finger at Max. "You're meant to control her and you take her to the cabin at god-knows-where the whole night? Without telling anyone? The two of you alone? You might be my godson but I swear I could kill you."

"Mum, can you kill him later, I want to go home," Ellie said with a quiet voice.

"What's going on?" asked Gabriela as she saw Ellie send an unforgiving glare at Max and the boy look down to the ground after this.

"Can we just go home?" begged Ellie, close to tears.

Gabriela wanted to have this conversation with Max and Ellie together but she saw that that was obviously not a good idea.

"Yes, go downstairs and get into the car, I'll go down in a second," she told Ellie. The teenager looked at Max for a second and left, when Gabriela stopped hearing her steps she turned to Max.

"Obviously something happened up there but I'd rather not know. It's also obvious that she's not very happy with you so I don't want you to come looking for her before you start school again on Monday, understood?"

Max nodded, Gabriela then did something she hadn't planned, she hugged the boy and he hugged her back.

"Give her time, time fixes almost everything," she whispered in his ear. He smiled and let go of her.

"Thanks, Aunt Gabby," he thanked her,

"You're welcome, little Evans."

* * *

"I banned Evans from seeing you until Monday, and the exact same goes for you," spoke Gabriela as she came into the house, but Ellie didn't hear her, she was metres away, still getting out of the car. Gabriela signed at the sight and jumped as she saw her husband standing in the middle of her living room. She closed the door behind her, getting a confused shout from Ellie.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I shouted at the man.

"Well, I was around the neighbourhood when I saw a man coming into the house," Troy said with a fake smile on his face. "I thought he was a thief but it turns out he's a really good friend of the families."

"A man? What do you...Roger?" asked Gabriela as she saw Roger Carter, the physics teacher at the High school she taught at, standing there, near Troy.

"Hey, Gabs, I met your ex-husband," he then moved a little closer to Gabriela. "I tried to get him to go but he wouldn't move," he whispered in her ear.

"In fact," said Troy in a slightly angry tone. "I'm still her husband, no 'ex-' in front."

Gabriela phone started ringing and she saw that it was a text from Ellie.

_LET ME IN – Ellie_

Gabriella quickly could her.

"I'm sorry, El..." she then looked at Troy who was looking at her strangely. "Kelsi."

"What are you talking about, mum? I'm not Kelsi!!!" shouted Ellie.

"I know, sorry, I'm trying to open the door but it's locked, maybe you could go around Tina's for a while, and I'll try to get this sorted."

"Fine but call me if there's any problems," Ellie said with a confused tone.

"See you in a few, darling."

"Did you need anything, Roger?" asked Gabriela kindly. She liked the guy; he was smart, handsome, caring. He'd asked her out and she'd confessed everything about Troy and how she was still madly in love with him.

"Yes, I was wondering if we could go out and het something to eat while we got some school stuff done. We need to sort out a few thing..." he told her. "But then I met, Troy here and we've been talking for a while."

"You never told me you knew Ellie so well," Troy said, making her heart skip a beat.

"What do you mean?" she asked quickly and nervously.

"Well I saw her picture around here a lot and asked Roger about it and he told me she's your goddaughter. That you and Susi Margaret got very close when you moved here," Troy explained. "You look very close with Roger, too." Said Troy, feeling Jealousy and betrayal running through his veins.

"We're good friends," said Roger, smiling at Gabriela; she returned the smile. "Well you two obviously need to talk so...I'm leaving." He kissed Gabriela on the cheek softly and left the house.

"Troy you need to stop doing this, you can't keep appearing at my house," she told him seriously.

Troy looked at her for a second, "I know, but I wasn't lying. I _was_ around the neighbourhood and I saw him come into the house with his own key and everything and I just thought that maybe he was...you know...you're..." he muttered.

"My boyfriend?" she finished for him. He did a kind of nod that she took as a yes. "That still gives you no right to come into my house and talk to my friends like they're your own. This is my life, Troy, get away from it! Please, I'm begging you! I don't need this, I was happy, believe it or not. I miss you everyday but I deal with it and I'm happy."

Troy looked at her again, slightly hurt. "Sorry, I won't bother you anymore. But I'm gonna find out sooner or later the reason why you left, even if we don't talk I _know_ that my life won't end until I know why the person who was my WHOLE world left me, when I know that I was her whole world too.

"Troy, leave now!" Gabriela ordered. She didn't want to hear this, she couldn't hear it.

Troy abided and walked out of the house. Gabriela tooked the phone and as she heard Troy's car leave she called Kelsi. 20 minutes later she was still speakign about Troy.

"I mean, how am I meant to keep this lie up, if he just walks around this house like nothing. Ellie's gonna discover that her dad's not dead easily if this..."

Gabriela stopped as she saw her daughter standing in front of her, soacked from the rain outside and looking at her with hurt.

"I hate you!" she shouted as she ran outside. Ellie couldn't believe what she had jsut heard. She couln't believe her mum would be so evil, so cruel...

"Ellie wait!" but it was too late, she had dissapeared from view.

* * *

_A/N: PLEASE let me know why the reviews have gone down, PLEASE! they'll probably find out in the next chapter so the waitign is almost over. PLEASE REVIEW and let me know if you like it or not, it helps so much when I'm writing the next one. _

* * *

I kid of liekd writing that, one of my longest chapters. Please Review and let me know if I'm doing this right


	13. 11:The Truth Hurts

**11. The Truth Hurts**

_A/N: Short, but you guys asked for it and here it comes. Oh Yes! And for all of those who watched 17 again, my Zac Efron doesn't really look like Mathew Perry. He's a mixture between our gorgeous Zac and any good features that Mathew Perry may have...um... (I'm sure you'll be able to find some...maybe...probably...if you deep in real deep). BTW: Troy's not stupid it's just that he can't see what's right in front of him because the fact that he's actually got a daughter is completely mental for him. Think of it as if you were him._

Ellie felt so absent. It was like she was watching her life from another person's body and it made her feel unsafe and vulnerable. Her insides where burning up with resentment towards people who she most loved. Her mum had lied to her, and not once but twice. Her mom's first story, about the drunken night, was assured to be false; Ellie had forgiven Gabriella for that. But how in god's name could she forgive her mother for lying to her about her dad's death? How something could be so cold hearted to lie about something that easily. And then there was the fact that she had been talking to Kelsi, which meant that her beloved godmother was in on the lie and, given this fact, so was her Uncle Ryan; maybe even Max was in on it too, for all she new. That's why she was sitting on the stands of the Raven's caught as she watched an oblivious Troy practising basketball with no talent what so ever, right now it seemed to her like she was the only person she could trust. He kept on throwing the ball at the basket, sometimes with too much force, sometimes with too little...but every time it seemed that she just couldn't notice that he had company. He bent his legs and prepared to take another shot.

"It's gonna go to the left!" shouted Ellie from the high stands. Troy put a hand over his eyes for a better view and saw Ellie sitting high above him.

"Ellie?" he asked as he ran up the stands. He stopped in front of her and looked at her, confused. "What are you doing here?"

She looked up at him for a second and then looked back down. He took a seat next to her.

"My dad's not dead," she muttered but Troy heard her.

"How do you know?" he asked calmly. Somehow, he always knew how to act around Ellie; he knew how to get around all her moods. She didn't answer for a few minutes but the silence that reigned in between both of them was extremely comfortable. Troy pulled her closer to him and put his arm around her for support.

"She left me outside the house for no reason, I heard voices, and then as I was at Tina's house, who's my next door neighbour, I...I saw my teacher, who's a family friend, leave in his car. And I decide I'd go back home because - you see, my mum and the teacher, they've kind of got this weird thing going on – but then, as I'm saying bye to Tina, I see another car leave my house. So I stay discussion the option of my mum having a trio," she stated with a chuckle. "However, when I come back home," she starts as some tears appear. "I...I hear her talking...talking with my god mother over the phone and telling her that...that my...my dad's alive."

"Ellie, are you sure you heard everything right?" he asked calmly. Something was off about the story and the fact that Gabriela formed a part of it (_A/N: Remember Troy was told that Gabriela was Ellie's godmother)_

"Yes, the fact is that I can't be but I know my mum, and the look on her face...it just told me."

Troy held Ellie in a close embrace while she cried over him, he didn't mind, she needed him. After what could've been minutes or maybe hours he decided it was time for a change of subject and he had the perfect one in mind.

"I know this probably seems random, but, what can you tell me about your godmother?" he asked. Ellie looked at him confused but answers.

"Well, she's...38, and she's kind and funny and super talented. She helped my mum out a lot, you see, they were pregnant at the same time," she told him.

"Pregnant?"

"Yes, you've met him, he's my...he's the guy I hang around with..." she said, getting a little nervous at the mention of Max.

"Is she married?" he asked angrily, not even wanting to think about Gabriela's son with another man.

"Of course she is, straight out of high school." Now, was when, Troy decided that something must be wrong with his ears or Ellie's mental health.

"That's impossible, Ellie. _I_ married your god mother right out of high school. She's the one who left me!"

"Troy, what are you talking about? I...my uncle told me he started dating aunt Kelsi in senior..."

"Aunt Kelsi?" asked Troy, confused. "Kelsi Neilson is your Godmother?"

"No, Kelsi _Evans_ is my godmother; she went to high school with my mum. Dated my uncle in senior year and married at 18. Then, had max two years later. She's my mum's best friend. Well, she and aunt Sharpay, but I only really met Sharpay about five years..."

"You know Sharpay? How come Susi knows all these people so well for you to call them aunt and..."

"Susi? Who the hell is Susi?" asked Ellie, getting anxious. That was when Troy caught a glimpse of his own eyes in Ellie's realise he couldn't distinguish them for they were they exact same colour. The way her eyes brows moved when she was confused was so much like his own...and her black hair...that black hair was exactly like the one he had run his hands through so many times before. Her nose was just like hears, her lips were just his...he started trembling, the information his eyes was receiving didn't seem to get to his brain, it couldn't it just couldn't.

"Troy, are you okay?" she asked with worry. Troy looked like he was having a nervous attack. He suddenly stopped and put his head in his hands. Carefully he sat up but his eyes remained tightly closed, like he was scared to look at Ellie.

"El...Ellie, how...how...old...are...are you?" he asked with a broken voice, Ellie thought he'd start crying.

"Seventeen, you met me on my birthday," she said calmly, reaching out to hold Troy's hand but he pushed it off softly.

"Sorry, it's just," he started with his eyes still close. "Your dad, did you ever, meat him?"

"No...My mum...at first she told me in had been an affair." Troy felt an excruciating pain reach his chest, he already knew the answers to all of these questions; somehow, he knew but he still needed to ask them. "Then, at my birthday, she told me he died." He felt like someone had stabbed him at this moment. "But, no, I never met him."

"You're not called Elizabeth Margaret, are you?" he asked slowly and just above a whisper.

"No! I'm called Elizabeth..."

"Montez" said a voice from beneath the two of them. They both looked down to see Gabriela entering the Jim. Ellie stood up getting ready to leave but Troy sopped her.

"Don't, Ellie. You need to know something," Troy spoke as he walked towards Gabriela with an expressionless face. Ellie stayed in the stand.

"Troy, I was gonna tell you but you said thing and I got confused and..." excused herself Gabriela.

"Don't you dare give me that crap!" he bellowed. Scaring both Gabriela and Ellie in the process. "You had no right to run away with her! I had the right to know!"

Ellie walked up to the two adults slowly and confused. She reached them and saw that Troy was crying.

"I did what I thought was best for everyone!" shouted Gabriela. "Maybe I was wrong but, believe or not, I don't regret it."

"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Asked Ellie innocently as if she were only a scared five-year-old.

"I know who your dad is," said Troy, without taking his eyes off Gabriela.

"Who?" she asked slowly.

"He is," answered Gabriella slowly. Ellie looked around the room, the only male in there was Troy.

"I can't believe you!" she shouted at Gabriella. "Or you!" she then shouted at Troy. "What gives you the right to play a joke like that on me? To lie to me once again?"

"She's saying the truth, Ellie," Troy said slowly.

"It was true!" Ellie suddenly said. "The whole Lakers and Karaoke thing was true! You only lied about him dying!"

Gabriela took a step towards Eli and tried to put her arms around her but Ellie pushed her away. "Don't touch me," she said calmly as she then turned to Troy. "Did you know?" she asked.

"He didn't know a thing," Gabriela answered. Troy turned to Ellie.

He held her hands in his and made her look into his eyes. "I know how you're feeling. Ellie, look at me! I know how you're feeling!"

"No you don't!" she shouted back.

"Here you are," he said handing her some keys. "Open the red Porsche and wait for me there."

"I...I..." mumbled Ellie, finding it hard to breath.

"Just go, Ellie," insisted Troy. She obeyed.

Once she was out of hearing range Gabriela shouted at Troy.

"You can't just take her!" she shouted.

"What? Like you did?" he asked, looking at her like she was a piece of filth. "I cried! I cried myself to sleep night after night after night, wondering what I could've done to drive you away, to make you leave me, to just go!"

"Remember that night?" she shouted back. "I was 20! I was scared to death! We had no money, we were studying and you had decided to quit university! I wanted to kill myself, Troy! But I kept strong as I waited for you at home because I knew that once you appeared you'd hold me and tell me it was ok. But you came in, saying how you were glad we waited to have kids and you didn't even realize I was off – that moment has replayed in my mind every single night for the last 17 years and I kept on asking myself how you didn't realize what was wrong. It wasn't that hard, Troy! But you never figured it out!"

"Sorry for not having your memory! Sorry for, once in my life, thinking about my success and not remembering every single gesture you had. And, for your information, I tried SO hard to replay that moment but all the grief, it blinded me! And, while I lived a lonely and horrible life, you saw our daughter grow up! You saw her take her first steps, you heard her say her first words, you named her, you fed her, you put her to sleep every night and told her that you didn't even remember her father, that he was a one-night stand – you made it sound like I wouldn't even care about her if I had known. And, when she asked for the truth, you told her I was dead!"

"I did that for her own good!" she answered back.

"No! You did that for _your _own good!" he shouted.

"Go to hell, Troy. I had to raise a kid on my own while I saw you on TV all the time! I had to put up with seeing her playing basketball all the time and, when she started idolatrizing you..that was painful...you were like a god to her and I couldn't even tell her that, in fact, it was the same blood running through both your veins! I'm happy I left, I'm happy because Ellie had a normal childhood without having to deal with everyone trying to take advantage of her for who her dad was. And I'm glad I left because it was already hard enough to hear all those rumours of you dating over the TV, I don't know if I could've dealt with it if I had actually stayed with you. So, no troy, I'm not gonna apologize anymore, I did what was best for everyone."

Troy calmed down and walked towards the exit, only turning around when he was about to leave.

"Maybe it wasn't up to you to decide..."

* * *

Troy went into his car and looked at Ellie.

"So, what now?" she asked awkwardly and scared.

"I have no idea," he stated as he started the car.

* * *

**Here it is**

**And I seriously hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it**

**I swear to god, and this is serious, the minute I get my fifteenth review, I'll start writing the next chapter. It normally takes me about a week to start writing the next one but if you manage to get to the fifteenth, then, I don't care if it's the middle of the night, I'll get up and write it. Cheers! And please REVIEW.**


	14. 12:Father And Daughter

A/N: I've just got my fifteenth review and I'm starting. However it may take me a few days to get it finished – checkpoint, mother's day, end of year exams, trip to France...etc. But anyway, here it is.

* * *

**12. Father And Daughter**

Troy couldn't get to sleep. How could he, his own _daughter_ was sleeping in the bedroom next to his. For the last seventeen years he'd had a _daughter_, a living thing that hadn't ever known who she came from. How could Gabriela have done something like that? They were a team, they worked together, they loved each other like no other. Yet, she still left with their daughter; with something that was as much his as it was hers. Troy got up and slipped his slippers on; he opened the door and walked into the dark corridor. He walked towards the guest room and peeped inside, only to find out that no one was there.

"I couldn't sleep," said a soft voice from behind him. He turned around to find Ellie standing next to the window in one of his old basketball tracksuits; she had insisted that she always worn basketball tracksuits to bed. "It's just. She's always been such an amazing mum, you know? She's always been kind and friendly but strict when she needed too, she was always there whenever I wasn't feeling up to something and it always seemed like she loved me..."

"She does...I mean, I'm sure she does," defended Troy, without knowing why. Troy walked towards him.

"How can you defend her?" Ellie asked a little angrily. "She left without telling you, what she did to you was even worse than what she did to me."

Troy smiled sadly at Ellie and started walking towards his room; Ellie followed him. He entered the big room and knelt down in front of a big bookshelf. He took some books out of the bottom row and Ellie saw a few photograph albums in the back, Troy took them out and handed a few of them to Ellie. Ellie opened one to find a photo of a very young version of her mum and Troy singing together on a small karaoke stage; they both looked slightly uncomfortable.

"It took me a lot to find that, I gave it to your mum as a wedding present – we had no money but the smile she gave me when I showed her that photo would have never appeared even if I gave her all the gold in the world," Troy told her. Ellie looked confused at her...her dad.

"So is the answer to my question, 'I still love her'?" asked Ellie dumbly. Troy chuckled slightly and sat on the bed, he patted the spot next to him and Ellie sat down.

He breathed in hardly. "I can't forget what Gabriela did. She had no right to just leave without an explanation; she just disappeared without leaving any trace. She was my everything Ellie, and I had to go through seventeen years without her – without knowing why she left me. And now I know that she left because of you..." Ellie frowned and Troy realized he'd make it sound like he was accusing her. "Oh God! No! I don't mean it like that, Ellie. She really had no right to leave with my own...my own daughter...it's just...I..."

"I get it, Troy, it's just a big thing...I thought my dad was dead and, god! You've been my hero since I was six! I always thought of you like a superior human being – For fuck's sake," Troy gave her a stern look and Ellie chuckled. "Sorry, for goodness sake! I have a poster of you at the back of my cupboard! How the hell can you be my dad? It's just..." she put her head in her hands and let a sign escape her lips. Troy rubbed her back gently and got off the bed, heading for the door.

"Take a look at the photos, not only the ones from me and Gab but the one's from my family too, I mean, I suppose that they're your family too."

"What are you going to do?" asked Ellie, her voice sounding like the one of a scared child. Troy looked back at her before leaving a gave her a comforting smile.

"A lot of thinking..."

* * *

Troy walked back into his room an hour later to find Ellie curled up in his bed, with an open album in her hand. He moved her a little and put the bed covers around her, finding it incredible how fascinating it was to just see her sleep. How she took deep breaths and looked like such an angel, how her black hair twirled around and fell over her back. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and just to think that he had missed out of her childhood made him want to be sick. He took the Album away from her and took a look at the open page. She recognise the biggest photo as one of the ones taken at Chad and Taylor's wedding. He stood beside Chad in his tuxedo and smiled at the camera; however, the smiled didn't reach his eyes, it had been a year since she left.

_-Flashback-_

"_Mate, please, I'm begging you, cheer up!" Chad insisted as he offered Troy a glass of wine, Troy rejected it. "Oh! Come on, man! I've finally done it...I've tied the knot!" _

"_I hope it goes better for you than it went for me," Troy snapped a little harsher than he had intended. He was upset and moody, he should be happy here, with Gabriela by his side and both of them radiating happiness; however, that wasn't the case. Troy stood up and left, walking inside, just to find Taylor sitting on the ground weeping slightly. He knelt down beside her quickly."Are you okay, Tay?" he asked her with concert, she looked up and wiped of her tears, smudging her makeup. _

"_I...She should be here...She should be here with me and telling me how happy she is that I finally did it and how she knows we'll be happy," Taylor sobbed. "I was her best friend, Troy, and she just left, she didn't even say goodbye!" _

_Troy didn't mean to upset her any further but he felt that he should state his thoughts. "No offense Taylor, but I was _married_ to her and she left me. She left me without any explanations."_

"_I think Kelsi knows where she is?" Taylor suddenly said, making Troy shake his head._

"_Nah," he answered. "She and Ryan assured me they had no idea." _

"_Then why aren't they here? Huh?" _

"_Because Kelsi's just had the kid and she's still not..." explained Troy._

"_She had the kid months ago! Troy, I know you said she wouldn't change her name but can you please just try...I think I might be right with this one..." Taylor insisted. Troy signed._

"_And what do I do if you're right, Tay? What if it's true? What if she's changed her name? What if she's made both Ryan and Tay and who knows who else lie to me? What if she really left me because she didn't want me anymore; what do I do then?"_

"_Wouldn't you rather know?" asked Taylor as she stood up. Troy mimicked her move._

"_I don't know Taylor, I really don't know..." He said._

"_There's my beautiful bride!" shouted Chad as he kissed Taylor. "You better know, mate?" he asked Troy. Troy didn't speak and Taylor interfered, grabbing the camera._

"_One, two, three, shoot..." _

_-End of Flashback-_

How could he have been so stupid? He listened to Taylor, he found her but he didn't look for her because he took it for granted that she didn't want him anymore. If he had just fought for what his heart wanted and not for what his head told him, he would have been able to see Ellie grow up, to listen to her say 'dad' for the first time, to see her...'Stop!' he told himself. What had been done had been done and nothing could help it now. He leaned down and kissed his daughter gently on the forehead, feeling something he had never felt before as he did so. He smiled to himself for a brief second and walked out of the room, getting ready to deal with his thoughts not allowing him to sleep.

* * *

Troy was awoken by the sound of knocking on his front door. He didn't know why he had bought a flat but he had never really liked the idea of getting a house for himself alone, no matter how rich he was, he preferred having a small place to leave so he wouldn't feel the loneliness as much. He got off the sofa where he had fallen asleep sometime during the night and opened the door before the knocking could awake Ellie. He gritted his teeth as he saw Gabriela standing in front of him. He went outside and closed the door behind him, the last thing Ellie needed was to see Gabriella right now.

"How did you get the address?" he asked harshly.

"You're Troy Bolton, it wasn't that hard..." she replied insolently. A small silent went through them for a second.

Troy decided to break it. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to see my daughter," she answered as she stared at him hardly.

"Well _our_ daughter is asleep and has no interest in seeing you so I suggest you get out of here before I call security," Troy threatened. He really didn't want Ellie to suffer anymore for the moment.

Gabriella signed and handed Troy a big bag. "Just give her this, will you? There's a few of her clothes and her school books, she had an important exam next week and she needs to revise, she's got practice..." she started and then realised that Troy knew perfectly when her practice was. "Max's been asking for her and I don't know what to say, I brought her phone charger too." She turned around and headed for the lift.

"She just needs time," Troy said softly before she left.

"That's what I told myself when I left you," Gabriella answered in a whisper. But Troy heard.

* * *

_A/N: Good? Bad? Hot? Cold? In? Out? Up?...I'm getting a little carried away, aren't I? Anyway, PLEASE PLEASE review and tell me what you think so that you can get me inspired enough to write another chapter. _

_Lots of Love,_

_Pilargirl_

_PS: REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


	15. 13:Life Continues

_A/N: Hey guys! I just came back home from school, happy because my exams are FINALLY finished and then, as I jumped up and down in happiness I realized that I haven't updated in…like…a month. So I'm here to say sorry and to bring you a new chapter of this amazing story. BTW: If you read my NILEY stories, then please, nominate me for the NJK awards (if you want to, of course.)BTW: I'm not too sure how it goes in America but here in Spain it's completely natural for family members to kiss on the cheek every time they see each other or say goodbye – so I'm gonna see that as normal._

**13: Life Continues**

"She forgot my History book," moaned Ellie as she looked through the bag that Gabriela had brought in a few days before. Troy looked at her from the other side of the table as he ate his cereals. Ellie was wearing a black 'I love NY' t-shirt, a pair of dark purple jeans and black vans, she definitely looked a little miserable.

"Ellie, don't you look a little...I don't know...'dark'?" asked Troy casually as he took a spoonful of cornflakes. Ellie looked at him strangely and then looked down at her outfit.

"Mum really didn't bring in that much clothes...beside...I feel 'dark and twisty' today," she half-laughed. Troy chuckled at the mention of the TV show that he and Ellie had watched last night. "So...what do I do about the History book?" she asked Troy as he stood up to put his plate in the dishwasher.

"Don't worry about it," he told her honestly. "I'll go round your mother's later on and get more of your stuff." Suddenly there was a small silence filling the room and Troy realized Ellie wanted to say something she was hesitant to say.

"How long can I stay here, Troy?" she asked quietly, Troy looked at her for a second and then took a chair and sat opposite her, holding both her hands.

"Ellie, look at me," he ordered kindly, making the teenager look up. "This is your house, ok? You don't ever have to leave here, everything I have is yours too...everything...do you understand?"

Ellie nodded with a small smile on her face. "You would've been an amazing dad," she offered. Troy smiled sadly at her and put a stand of her hair behind her ear.

"I'm hoping it's not too late for that," he muttered. A tear ran down Ellie's face and she hugged Troy fiercely, taking all the air out of him.

"You do realize that once I turn 18, you can't really treat me as a child," she laughed as she hugged him tightly.

"Oh! Trust me, if I ever don't want you to do something I won't have any problem stopping you from doing it," Troy laughed back. Ellie pulled away and looked at him, trying to keep a straight face.

"Is that a threat, Troy Bolton?"

"Sure it is, Elizabeth Montez" Troy laughed.

To say that a few people where staring at Ellie Montez when she arrived in Troy Bolton's car would've of been the biggest understatement. Over 200 teenagers noticed the internationally famous basketball star immediately and all the soundless whispers became extremely loud as they saw Napoleon's high golden girl sitting in the seat beside him. Troy stopped the car and turned slightly to face Ellie, he was well aware of all the looks they were getting but he was already used to it.

"Great," said Ellie sarcastically as she looked around. "Now they're all gonna think I'm having an affair with my dad."

Troy chuckled slightly at the craziness of the idea. He knew that there had been more than one case of 30 year olds taking advantage of 17 year olds but not once had that thought entered his mind about Ellie, not even when he didn't know who she really was. He took Ellie's hand and looked into her eyes. "Don't pay attention to what idiots think, there's always gonna be a time when the world can see you in a way that's different to who we are," he told her. Ellie stared at him, wide eyed.

"That's what mum always says," she said quietly. Troy gulped slightly and his lips formed a thin line.

"Oh..." he muttered.

"Talking about mum," Ellie said slowly and slightly panicked. "What do I do when I see her? She _is _a teacher here."

Troy gave her a half-smile. "You need to ignore her and I'm gonna go in right now and talk to her so she won't bother you."

"You don't have to do that..." the young girl told him.

Troy looked at her generous and kind expression and smiled widely, feeling something like being proud. "Yeah, I do. I need to catch up on the 'looking out' for you. She laughed slightly as she picked up her back. Both of them got out of the car, making hundreds of eyes turn their way. Ellie saw someone walking towards her.

"You know you said your job is to look out for me?" she asked. Troy looked at her and nodded. "Do you think you could threaten Max into not coming near me?"

Troy looked confused and suddenly slightly angry. "What's he done?"

"You really don't want to know that. Trust me with this one, Troy..." she assured him.

"I thought you two were..." but he was interrupted by a panicked Max.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!" he shouted at her. Troy wanted to intervene; he really didn't like how this boy was talking to Ellie. Ellie rolled her eyes and max, for the first time, realized that Troy was there.

"Why are you with him?" he asked slowly.

"Troy, do you think maybe you could talk to mum now?" Ellie asked politely. Troy looked hesitant.

"I don't know Ellie, I don't think me..." he muttered as he looked at Max.

"Please, Troy..." insisted Ellie.

"I just don't know, I don't..."

"Dad...please," she snapped, causing Troy to get shocked and Max's jaw to drop. She didn't know why she had called him that, she hadn't planned to...it had simply come out. It was like when she was angry at mum, she would just snap at her.

"Fine, I'll catch you later," he said, a little lost as to what to do now. It was one of those awkward moments like when you're at the end of a date and you don't know if you should kiss the person or not. Ellie noticed this and smiled slight, she went on her tiptoes and kissed Troy on the cheek, just like she did with Gabriela when she left for school with Max. Troy looked a little startled but happy, he smiled at her and headed for the building.

Ellie turned back to look at Max, who was still gaping at her in awe.

"If you stay like that any longer your face will get used to it and you'll like like a retard for the rest of your life," she warned as she walked off in a very unfriendly manner. Max snapped out of it and caught up with her.

"You're still angry about the other day, aren't you?" he told her. Then he realized he could talk about the whole Bolton thing later, first he needed to solve his problems with Ellie; that was more important.

Ellie chose to ignore him and continue walking. "Those other girls didn't mean anything, Elle. You and I are a completely different story."

Ellie suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and gritted her teeth. "That's the point! You and I are a completely different story...different enough for me to not even think about what I was doing. It meant a lot to me and to you it was just..."

"It wasn't just another one, you aren't and will never be another one!"

A lot of people were staring now, including all of their friends.

"I can't talk to you! I can't look at you! And I most definitely can't continue with this...we were better before, as friends, but I'm afraid we've lost that too." Having said that, she ran into the building.

_A/N: I know it wasn't too long but I thought you might prefer and quicker update and a shorted chapter than a longer chapter and me taking two more weeks to update._

_**REVIEW**_

_**AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK**_


	16. 14:Auditions

_A/N: Hey Guys. New Chapter. Let's say 10 reviews for the next chapter, okay?_

**14: Auditions**

Troy kept on looking back as he walked into the building, he really didn't get it – one minute Ellie was asking him to threaten Max and the other she was telling him to go away and calling him dad. Hearing her say that word made a thousand new feeling erupt in his body, it was like they were getting to the place where they should be slowly. He continued looking back as he walked, making sure that Ellie was okay; he turned back one more time and as he saw Ellie walk away from Max he turned his head back forward...only to find himself banging into someone.

"I'm sorry," said the voice of the man Troy had found in Gabriela's house the other day. "Troy Bolton?" he asked as the man looked at him.

Troy kept his expression emotionless. "Where can I find Miss. Montez?" he asked politely.

"In the science labs, on the second floor..." Troy started walking but Mr. Carter stopped him. "Bolton, she's...she's been in school all night...she's not sleeping or eating...I know that what she did..."

"You don't know anything!" snapped Troy at this man that was almost a stranger to him. "Firstly, you don't know what I'm feeling. Secondly, you were more of a father to my daughter than I was and, thirdly, keep to your own business."

* * *

"Hey Elle," said Tom as he joined Ellie in homeroom. "What do you want, Tom? I'm really not in the mood for answering any stupid questions..." Ellie told him, not wanting to be rude but not being able to help it.

"Hey," he said gently, putting his hand on her shoulder. "What's up with you, basketball star?"

Ellie looked up at him and gave him a small sad smile. "So you're not here to find out why the hell I'm so close to Troy Bolton?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Tom shrugged his shoulders with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Okay...maybe I'm interested," he confessed. He then put his hand on her cheek and caressed it softly, causing Ellie to look at him with a confused expression on her face. "But I'm worried about you...I called a few times this weekend and I came to school to repeat my maths test on Saturday and I saw your mum walking around the halls like a zombie. Plus, now I see you arrive at school with Troy Bolton and kiss him on the cheek...I'm wondering what's going on."

Ellie gave him a half-smile and put her hand on top of the one he had on her cheek. "It's a long story. Don't take it the wrong way, but I really don't think I can tell you right now. However, I can assure you I'm not having an affair with Troy Bolton and, to tell you the truth, I'd rather not get into anything to do with my mother."

He gave her a sympathetic smile and leaned down in front of her. She raised an eyebrow...

"Are you gonna propose?" she joked as Tom laughed at her. She had to admit he was cute, standing there, clutching down and given her such a sweet smile.

Tom chuckled and shook his head. "No, I forgot the ring," he joked back. "Anyway, it's okay if you can't tell me; I just want you to be okay."

Ellie Montez couldn't quite believe her ex-boyfriend was being so sensitive. He didn't tend to be like that...he was normally more of the typical jock. She leaned down slightly and kissed him tightly on the cheek, thanking for being so nice.

At that moment Max Evans entered the home room and coughed angrily as he saw the girl he loved kissing his friend, maybe it was only on the cheek but he could see Tom's face from where he was standing and he knew the boy was pretty happy about this. Ellie pulled away from Tom at the sound of the cough. Tom looked at Max with an angry glare and then sat down beside Ellie – in other words, he sat in Max's place.

Max walked up in between the two of them, first looking at Ellie and then looking angrily at Tom. "Mason," Max shouted rudely to Tom. "That's my seat and you know it...so get out before I beat you out of there."

Ellie looked at Max, shocked. "Max Evans!" she shouted at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me is..."

But he was interrupted by the school bell, followed by the entrance of Mr. Carter, who asked him to sit down.

* * *

"Troy," murmured Gabriela as she realized who had just come into the staffroom.

Troy looked at her and couldn't help but feel bad; she looked terrible. Her natural beautiful black wavy hair was a mess, you could see it was knotty and she had combed it with her bear fingers. There were dark bags under her eyes, which were red and puffy. Her clothes were wrinkled and her lips were dry.

"You look horrible," Troy confessed as he saw his wife looking back at him.

"Tell me something I don't know," Gabriella replied bitterly as she stood up and poured herself some coffee. And as she had her back to Troy, she broke down and started crying. Troy saw this, and against his better judgement, walked to the place where she was standing and put two comforting arms around her. He didn't know why he did this, he shouldn't, she had treated him like rubbish...she was the one to blame for him being miserable for the last 18 years, the one who took his own daughter from him; but he couldn't help it, Gabriella was the love of his life no matter what she did, and if she saw she was crying he was going to react to it, no matter what had happened.

"Calm down," he whispered in her ear. Making her tears stop falling down her cheeks. She turned around and broke free of his grip, cleaning her tears as she moved towards the door.

"How is she?" she simply asked, both parents knowing perfectly what she was talking about.

"She's a little confused, and angry and simply scared of all that she's discovered; but she's okay," Troy assure Gabriella.

Gabriella gulped. "When's she coming home?" she asked hopefully.

Troy signed. "Not anytime soon, Gabby...she doesn't hate you 'cause we both know hating is something none of us can seem to do but...she's extremely angry at you for doing this to her. She's gonna be staying at mine for a long while, Gabriela."

Gabriella pouted slightly and cleared off some new tears that her beautiful brown eyes had formed. "This isn't fair, Troy. I need her...I can't just continuing living in this school and I can't go home because then I realize she's not there...I haven't had time to make my mind understand the fact that she's not coming home, I'm not ready," Gabriella cried.

"Great...now you know how I felt 18 years ago. Well, actually, at least you've got an explanation and you know she's okay." He didn't want to argue with her about this again. He'd said all he needed to say and repeating himself was only going to make thing worst. He breathed in and looked at Gabriela. "Look, she's already in a bad shape so I've come here to ask you to not say anything to her." He saw Gabriela was about to argue so he added: "At least, not today."

"I need to talk to her Troy and you are definitely not going to be the one to stop me. You've only known her for...what?...two months?" Gabriela stated as she looked at her husband angrily.

"And who's to blame for that?" he asked rhetorically. "Whose fault is it that I only met my _own daughter _2 fucking months ago, Gabriela?"

Gabriela shut up then and gulped. "I...I need to talk to her, Troy. Even you can understand that..."

Troy looked at her hardly but soon his facial expression became a little softer. "Of course I understand...but, even if you never meant for me to find out...she _is _my daughter and she _has _told me she really does not want to talk to you. I want your word, Gab...If not for her then do it for me and for all that you've made me go through...I'm just asking you to stay away from her until she calms down about this, if she won't talk to you in a week I'll get her too. Do I have your word?"

Gabriella looked at him absently for a second then, slowly, her lips parted. "You love her, don't you? You've only known you're her dad for a few days and you already love her..."

"To tell you the truth I loved her before I knew who she was. For the last month I'd been wondering how the two of us had such a strong connection...I think I get it now," he answered her question. "Do I have your word, Gabby. For me?"

Gabriela looked down and then turned around, looking out of the window. "You obviously deserve it...and, in a way, I guess I deserve to have to do without her for some time...my word."

Troy half-smiled and had to control his urge to go up to Gabriela and kiss her...hug her...comfort her. Maybe some day...he thought.

* * *

Ellie looked at her watch as she leaned against her locker, listening to Tom speak about something she really wasn't playing attention too.

"...you get me, right?" Tom asked. Ellie just simply moved her head, looking down the corridor instead of at Tom. "You're so not listening to me, right?" Tom said with a chuckle as Ellie just nodded once again. "Ellie!"

"Yes...what?...I'm listening!" Ellie muttered loudly as she came out of her trance.

"What's up?" Tom asked.

Ellie smiled at him. "Actually...Tom...I'm just somewhere else...Do you mind if I go somewhere?"

"Of course I don't," Tom stated with a smile, he then tried to ask her where she wanted to go but she was gone before he had the chance to open his mouth again.

* * *

Ellie, ran to the east wing of the high school and, carefully and quietly, entered the auditorium and sat at the back. On stage was her Aunt Kelsi, playing the piano as she accompanied a pretty blonde girl who had a good voice; however, it could barely be heard. Uncle Ryan was sitting behind a desk, in front of the stage...looking up to the blonde girl and sometimes looking around him.

Two more people auditions, all soloist for the duets had been auditioned first. 'Who had Max auditioned with?' Ellie thought with a tingle of jealousy...yes, maybe she said that she didn't want anything to do with him but, she couldn't help it, Max Evans would always be her number one priority for everything.

Ryan turned around a few more times, looked at Kelsi and shrugged with disappointment reflected in his eyes. Ellie immediately knew that Max hadn't even bothered to appear.

"Well...I guess if that's everyone...this is the end of the auditions..." Ryan said sadly. The few people that were left in the huge auditorium left quickly, chatting animatedly. Ryan put the light off and smiled sadly at Kelsi once more.

"I guess he really isn't that keen on..."

"Dad! I'm here!" shouted a voice, coming from the left of the hall.

Max Vanes was running madly towards the stage, getting a disappointed stare from his dad.

"You were supposed to be here an hour ago, Max! You said you needed the main role and we both agreed to get you the best actress in the school so that you could audition with her...you'll be glad to know that she's probably got the main character...but not with you," Ryan said harshly.

"Dad, come on...I...I got in a fight with Ellie...I was thinking stuff," Max excused himself a little poorly.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Okay, but it'll have to be a secondary role, then. We have no partner for you to audition for the main roles."

Max looked slightly scared for a second. "I need the main role, though..." he argued.

Kelsi stood up slightly. "Max there's nothing we can do about that, you shouldn't even be allowed to audition given the fact that we're your parents...we are going out create any loophole, we're sorry."

"Dad, mum...come on..." Max begged. "Do it for me as a favour...so that when you have my little baby sibling, I can be in California and I won't have a chance to be a bad role model..."

Ellie raised an eyebrow and smiled...Aunt Kelsi and Uncle Ryan were having a kid...Troy Bolton was her disappeared, and then dead, dad...and her and Max had actually been together...this year was sure not what she had expected.

"We said no, Max...unless you have someone to sing with you there's nothing we can do..."

Ellie caught her breath and did something that she knew she would regret.

"I'll sing with him," she said as she walked down the passageway in between the chairs of the high school auditorium. Max lifted his head up and smiled widely, not believing his luck.

"Are you sure, Ellie...no take backs," Ryan told his god daughter.

Ellie smiled at him. "Well, I can't really let him play both sandy and Danny, can I? I think he'd look quite strange talking to himself as two different people..."

Kelsi and Ryan laughed while Max just kept on staring at Ellie. The girl grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the stage.

"Come on, Mike Jagger, we've got some summer night to recount..."

And like that, they started singing, accompanied solely by the melodic piano tune and each other's sweet voice.

"_Those summer...Nights..." _They both sand together. And both of the adults in the room had to admit their voices fitted together like a jigsaw...and, yes, jigsaws can break and get lost but the thing is that, when you really think about it, they only fit into each other.

* * *

_Hope you liked it, please review, reviews make me HAPPY. And please, if any of you like 'Niley' I've just started a story which promises to be good. Check it out. Oh! And please, please, please...if you have time, go on youtube and check out one of my original songs. You can find it by typing... "It's just there Pili rodríguez original" _ in the Youtube search – and please leave your comment. And remember...press that green button to...REVIEW!!!


	17. 15: A Secret I Should've Never Kept

_A/N: So here is the last chapter, guys. I really hope you enjoy it._

**15: A Secret I Should've Never Kept**

---2 weeks later---

"Why do we have to do this?" Ellie asked her dad as she set the table for three. Troy, who was making some of his famous spaghetti in his luxurious kitchen, rolled his eyes and turned around to face the teenager.

"Because it's been almost three weeks and it's time to stop hiding and face Gabriela...you're gonna have to forgive her sooner or later," Troy tried to make her understand.

"I'd rather later," Ellie spoke drily, placing some napkins beside the three plates. Troy chuckled softly and smiled at his daughter. The last three weeks with Ellie had been one of his best, it seemed him and his beautiful daughter had known each other forever, they're didn't seem to exist a time when he was lonely and miserable.

"Besides," Troy stated. "You're gonna be seeing her a lot while you prepare Grease."

"I haven't got the role yet, Troy," Ellie warned the man in his late thirties.

"But we both know you and Max _will_ get the roles and your mum _will_ help out with the play and _you'll _ have to deal with it; so that' s why I invited her for dinner."

"Really?" Ellie asked the grown up with a raised eyebrow. I'd swear you'd invited her for yourself...I'd pretty much bet on it, actually."

Troy laughed as he shook his head at the young woman. "Look, we'll have dinner, try to make it as not awkward as possible and then you can go out and have some fun with your friends..."

"Curfew?" Ellie asked hoping to receive a negative answer.

"Of course, half-past eleven..."

"Half-past eleven?" Ellie repeated in a shocked voice. "I'm seventeen, Troy."

"Fine then, seventeen past eleven..." Troy stated with a smirk and a quick laugh.

"You're no fun," Ellie laughed, secretly adoring the fact that Troy was acting fatherly with her. As he opened his mouth to say something back to her, the doorbell rang. Father and daughter looked at each other for a second, and Troy quickly took the apron he was wearing off and walked towards the door.

"Be careful," Ellie warned. "If you shake a little more she might get the wrong idea." She blinked at him and sat down at the table, pulling her cell phone out.

**3 Lost Calls – Max Evans**

Ellie signed and started texting Max back.

**In D midle f som famly stuf, meet u at d bolin ally in 45 mins**

Her and Ma were going through a strange face...she had forgiving him after the audition but they still weren't together, Max was waiting for Ellie to be ready and Ellie was simply waiting to be ready to kiss the guy without wondering if he truly loved her. As for Tom, after Max and her had done the audition he had backed off.

"Yeah, come in," Ellie heard Troy voice followed by the entrance followed by both her parents entering the room a second later.

"Hi, Ellie," Gabriela said timidly as she spotted her daughter sitting at the table and putting her phone away.

"Hello," Ellie replied with a monotone voice, still nowhere near forgiving her mother.

"Well," Troy spoke, breaking the slight awkward silence that had been formed. "How about we all sit down and I serve the pasta?"

"Pasta? That was always your best," Gabriela commented with a smile as Troy serve some spaghetti on each plate.

Another awkward silence.

"So, have the two of you heard?" Gabriela spoke again.

"Heard what?" Troy asked curiously as he ate.

"That Kelsi's pregnant again!" The woman exclaimed.

"Yeah, Ellie told me," Troy spoke. "Didn't you, Ellie?" he asked, trying to get his daughter to speak.

She nodded.

"So, when will you find out if you got the roles?" Troy asked Ellie.

"On Monday, I guess, but Aunt Kelsi is supposed to put them up today, you know, for anyone who wants to go round this weekend," Ellie answered, keeping her gaze away from Gabriela.

"I'm glad you went for it, Ellie, it's good to keep your options open," Gabriela stated, making Troy turn his head towards her with an objecting expression on his face.

"Ellie is not keeping her options open...she's going to California, we've already discussed that," the man said rather fiercely.

"Discussed it? I know Ellie wants to play basketball but she's an A student, not that you would know that..." Gabriela spoke with an attitude.

"Actually I _do _know that, Ellie and me talk a lot, for your information," Troy shot back at his wife.

"Oh! And you still want her to play basketball? What kind of parent are you? She could be senator, even president..." The mother shouted.

"Ellie _wants _to play basketball!"

"She doesn't..."

"Shut up!" suddenly said Ellie, standing up from her seat. "For both your information, I'm gonna go to California with a basketball scholarship and while I play in the university league I'm gonna study politics! Not that you would know because I was gonna tell you tonight...and can you please stop fighting about MY future because, in case you haven't noticed, it's MY future. And, for my own sake, please don't continue shouting at each other for me when the reason you're fighting at each other is an old unsolved issue...so, while I go out and solve my own issues, you two can solve yours, okay?"

Having said that she walked out of the kitchen, leaving the two adults staring at her as she left. However, a second later, she walked back in.

"I know it's probably not gonna happen," she said as she stood in the door frame. "But if you somehow end up sleeping together, please text or something, I don't want to walk in on you and be traumatized for life."

Then, she left.

---

"Hey," Max said as he saw Ellie walking towards the table he was sitting at in the bowling Alley. "You're early."

"So are you," she told him as she walked towards him, leaned down and gave him a peck on the cheek. He looked up with a raised eyebrow; it was the first time since the night they were together that she had kissed him in any way. She then sat next to him.

"So...I know the outcome of the call backs," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You do?" Ellie asked with both a cheeky and seductive smile which Max classified as extremely irresistible.

"Y-y-yes," Max stuttered, causing Ellie t laugh. He took his hand to the back of his neck and chuckled softly. "Ellie, seriously, the things you do to me."

Ellie laughed again. "Okay, sorry, so...can I call you Danny from now on, or not?"

"Depends," Max told her. "Some people think you shouldn't mix your acting with your real life."

Ellie gave him a huge smile and through her arms around him as she pressed her thin lips tightly against.

"I meant what I said, Ellie-Belly, I've made mistakes with far too many girls but you, you, you're different, Elle, you're everything to me and there's nothing else, no one else that can ever..."

Max stopped talking as Ellie put a single finger on his lips.

"I don't care. I felt insecure and stupid. I love you, and I want you and I need to tell you everything that I've not been telling you in the past week, and trust me, you're gonna flip..."

---

Ellie came home to find Troy and Gabriela sitting on the sofa, rapped in each other's embrace. Her mother had tears streaking down her face and as she saw Ellie she smiled sadly.

"Troy, we've got company," the woman said softly, pulling away from her husband. Ellie walked towards the sofa and sat down between them with a small half-hearted smile on her face.

"I forgive you," she spoke gently to her mother. "I don't really have a reason to do it but I do. I think we all agree that there's been far too many movie-like things going on to last a life time and I, personally, just want to live a normal life."

"We agree," Troy and Gabriela said in unison. Ellie smiled and put her arms around both of her parents as she smiled widely.

"I love you, mum," she said as she looked at her mother, who was smiling back at her. She then turned to Troy and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you...dad."

And, like that, sitting there in between two people who loved her and cared for her, she finally felt like her life was complete, like there was nothing to stop her from being completely happy anymore, like everything finally was perfect. And, yes, Troy would always feel like he had missed a lot and Ellie would always feel like some of her life had been a lie, but the hardest was actually on Gabriela, who finally realized she kept a secret she should've never kept.

**So,**

**That's the End,**

**I can do an Epilogue if you want,**

**Tell me if you would like it.**

**Thanks for reading this story.**

**I hope you have enjoyed it!**


	18. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_A/N: Well, guys, here it is. I hope you will enjoy the end. _

**8 months later – Prom Night**

Troy and Gabriela stood in the kitchen of their new house as they waited for their daughter to walk down the stairs.

"Stop looking like she's being taken away away from you," Gabriela told her husband as she looked at him sitting at the table, with a miserable expression on her face.

Troy signed and looked up to meet Gabriela's brown eyes. "She kind of is, thought, isn't she? I mean, she's going to prom with Max, and she's spending half the summer in that theatre camp with Max and then she's going to California with Max..."

"And in a few years she'll be living with Max, and marrying Max and having kids with Max," Gabriela murmured as she sat down beside Troy, who wrapped him arms around her quickly.

"You're not helping, Gabby, not at all," the grown man told Gabriela; the woman laughed slightly.

"It could be worst, they could be getting married right out of High School," she spoke sincerely.

Troy's expression became one o pure fear. "That's not gonna happen."

"Of course it's not," a voice sounded from upstairs. "I'm not as desperate as you guys were, or as crazy, for that matter."

The couple looked at each other, stood up and walked towards the staircase. The two of them looked up and smiled at their daughter. She was wearing a beautiful red dress, decorated with some flowers. The dress reached her knee and had a revealing and triangular top, the dress was tight around the top but when it met her hips it loosened a little _(A/N: Link in profile – in the part where it describes this story)._ Her hair was its usual curly, ties up securely in a simple ponytail that was held up by a rose shaped hairclip and her makeup was reduced to some black eye liner and some lipstick that was very similar to Ellie's own colour. The seventeen-year-old made her way down the steps and was met by one of her father's great hugs when she reached the floor.

"You look beautiful," Troy told her truthfully. Ellie pulled away and smiled widely. "Thanks, dad."

Gabriela looked at the two of them and couldn't help the tear that was threatening to fall. The two of them looked like they'd been together for ever, the three of them now looked like the true family they should have always been.

"Don't cry, mum," Ellie said, turning to Gabriela. The mother wrapped her arms around her daughter; he was a little taller than she was.

"I love you, Elizabeth," she whispered in the girl's ear.

Ellie laughed. "Come on, don't call me Elizabeth, you only call me that when you're about to be serious about something or you're thinking about me growing up and stuff...oh! And when you're furious with me. Please tell me it's not the last..." the girl begged, backing away comically.

"No, of course it isn't, it's just you...it seems you were born a few months ago," Gabriela confessed. Troy smiled sympathetically and wrapped his arms around the love of his life. The two of them where going to be supervising the prom as the two teachers on guard – Troy had heard the school coach was retiring and he asked if the school would be okay with him coaching the school team in school hours and then coaching the ravens in the afternoon, two times a week.

The doorbell rang, interrupting Troy's thoughts and Ellie ran towards the door, opened it, and smiled even wider.

"You...you...you look breathtaking, Ellie-Belly," Max Evans' voice was heard coming into the house.

"You don't look bad yourself, Mick Jagger," Ellie spoke, giving Max a quick peck on the lips.

"Well, let's get going, shall we?"

---

"Can I cut in?" A voice asked as Max and Elli were dancing to a slow song. The two of them looked up to find Tom standing beside them. Max looked at Ellie, who nodded, and then hesitantly let go of her.

"I'll go and get some punch," the blonde spoke.

Ellie looked at Tom for a second and put the arms around his neck, a little awkwardly.

"So," the girl spoke. "You got into U and A? My dad was about to study there, you know?"

Tom nodded. "Yes, it's a known fact about Troy Bolton."

"Yes, sometimes I forget that he's Troy Bolton, you know? Especially now that he's 'dad'..." Ellie muttered uncomfortably.

"You and Max? It's going okay? You're still gonna be going to California together?" he asked curious.

Ellie smiled sympathetically at him. "Yes, we are."

"Be happy, okay? I know sometimes I've been a real idiot and I resent those times but the most important thing is that you're happy, no matter who you're happy with." He told her.

She leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I'll try to, Tom...thanks...for everything."

---

"So, do I have to be worried?" Max asked ten minutes later, nodding towards Tom.

Ellie laughed. "No, Danny, no worries...you're all mine and I'm all yours."

"You know. I never have actually thanked you for stepping up on the stage the day of the audition, you got me into California..." said Max.

"It was completely selfish," Ellie assured him with a seductive smile, pressing her body tighter against his. "I wanted you in California."

Max leaned down and kissed her hungrily. "You know, Katy opened her eyes wide for me today, they're totally the same colour as mine, no matter what dad says."

Ellie smiled widely at the thought of Max's new born baby sister; Katy Kelsi Evans that was the cutest thing she had ever seen. "I'm sure." She spoke.

"I love you, Ellie," he told her suddenly in a raspy voice.

"I love you more," Ellie told him, leaning into him and pressing her head against his chest as they danced.

---

Troy looked at Gabriela for a second and then moved to stand right in front of her.

"Would you dance with me, beautiful lady?" he asked her as he took her hand. She laughed and nodded.

"Of course, handsome sir," she told him as the two of them headed for the dancing floor. And there they stood, finally happy and finally a family. And, as Gabriela danced in those safe and strong arms that she'd always missed so much and she smiled widely. She'd seen her daughter get various scholarships, get the best results of her year, play amazing well in an excellent musical and fall in love with the man she would spend the rest of her life with and, at that moment, when everything was filled with nothing but light, she couldn't even remember the secret she should've never kept.

**THE VERY END**


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